Masquerade
by LottieDot
Summary: Gendry Waters is in his last year of law school, about to graduate with honors. The last thing he needs is a distraction, especially after the past year. But when his best friend is about to marry what is a best man to do but hire a stripper? What he never expected is to meet the girl of his dreams. Is she who she says she is or is it all a mask she wears. This is Gendry's story.
1. Bachelor Party

Gendry was the worst best man in the history of the world. Instead of planning an epic night on the town going from club to club, he was throwing Hot Pie's bachelor party at his place. He had liquor all around, food on every surface and the guys seemed to be having a good time. The only thing he was worried about was next part in the plan. Thoros had talked him into this; Gendry couldn't be a best man unless this next part of the party took place.

"'It's in the rules man. You have to have a naked woman at a bachelor party." Thoros had argued.

So Gendry made some calls. He found a company, Faceless Escorts. He had told the man when he needed the girl, what the party was and was told someone would be around to entertain his friends on the night of the party.

This was one of the worst things he had ever let his friends talk him into doing. Beric even insisted on being in the room when Gendry made the call and not chicken out. But they knew that Gendry would cave. He loved Hot Pie. They had grown up together in a home for orphaned boys. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Hot Pie. They had been through a lot. The last year had been tough on them both and if hiring a stripper would make his brother happy he would do it. After all, in a week their life would change again. Hot Pie was getting married after all. Who would have thought that would ever happen?

He stood coolly by the apartment door with a beer in his hand while his mates downed shots with a drinking game. They were watching a show that was entertaining and let them drink. Every time they saw someone naked, they had to take a shot. Every time someone on the show drank, they drank. Every time someone said certain lines, they drank again. So far, they had downed seven shots each. With the crew he had in his place it was impressive that they were all alive. His fried ds were a crazy Bunch of guys. Gendry didn't want to get to drunk. He had a beer and sipped it when the guys shouted.

It was going to be a long night, but he wished that he didn't have to be here. Gendry was in his last year of law school. He was trying to graduate with honors and that meant he had to have an amazing thesis. He loved his friends, his brothers, but this was taking up time he should be writing.

"Tits!" Lem yelled. Everyone drank.

"Drink when they drink!" Tom shouted, they all drank.

Gendry felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out. It was an unknown number, but it could only be one person. He didn't want to answer the phone, but he already paid for it, so he answered the call.

"Waters here." He said as the group behind him shouted tits again and drank.

"This is too funny. I'm River." Her voice was the sound of water over rocks. Smooth and changeable. Gendry liked her voice. "So there are something's I need to know about before I show up. I just wanted to know if you want the whole show or keep things to the imagination." The girl asked on the other end of the line.

Gendry swallowed hard. He had no idea what this girl looked like, but her voice was sexy. Shit, he didn't know what to say. Did she mean fully naked? How could he ask that without sounding like an idiot?

"Um, well can we see how it goes? I mean in the decision about that?" He asked, feeling nervous.

"Hey Waters it's your party. You can do what you like. But the whole show is a wee bit extra." She told him. Gendry appreciated her honesty and told her so. "I'm outside your place now. Open the door yeah? Oh and the groom, is his name really Hot Pie?"

"This coming from a girl calling herself River." He said dryly to her. There was a buzz from the door and he hung up the phone. Time to get the show on the road. "Who is it?" He asked into the speaker box. The guys fell silent behind him.

"Um, I have a pie to deliver?" The voice said.

"Right. Come on up." Gendry unlocked the door three flights down. Thoros looked at him. Gendry felt like a total shit for doing this.

"Who is that?" Beric asked.

"Someone with a pie." Gendry said calmly.

"Drink!" Hot Pie shouted. The rest took a shot but Gendry just sipped his beer. He checked his watch. 10:57. He hoped he could get this party over by one, two at the latest. He could get something written tonight, maybe ten pages, if he was lucky.

There was a knock on the door and Gendry opened it. Standing outside was a girl, as he expected. What he wasn't expecting was what she was wearing.

"What the hell do you have on?" He hissed.

Lips the shape of a bow smiled up at him and green eyes sparkled with laughter. There was something strange about her eyes, but he didn't have time to think about that right now.

"You said the groom was a chef. This," she waved her arms at her clothing, "is my chef costume. Complete with white chef hat. Now let me in." River walked under his arm, her mushroom snapped hat brushing his arm.

She wore loose fitting pants, a white chef jacket and clogs. This was the strangest stripper he had ever seen. But he looked at her again, closely. She was fit under her clothing. The pants were tight over her ass, so they weren't as loose as they looked. Her legs were also long, making her tall. Heels would have distracted from her own legs. And as he walked beside her to the guys he had the chance to look down her chef jacked. Her breasts were nice and round, pushing on the confines of the jacket. So maybe she wasn't that odd.

"I heard you had forgot to order desert." River said when she walked over to stand in front of Hot Pie. She placed a box on the table in front of him, took the shot out of his hand and threw it back, forcing the hat to tumble off her head and her blond hair to cascade down her back in one smooth movement.

Someone had turned off the TV. Someone had turned on Gendry's stereo system. Gendry had no clue what was in the player, but as soon as the slow beat of a Johnny Cash song broke over him he wished he could trade places with Hot Pie. The steady beat from _God's Gonna Cut You Down_ allowed the girl to sway. She let the music take over. The song was only two minutes and change, but by the end of it, she was in nothing but blue lace panties.

Gendry had wanted to look away while she danced, look anywhere but at her. He couldn't. She had unbuttoned the first button of the jacket, then ripped it wide opened, leaving her in a blue bra. His eyes were glued to her. She had been in Hot Pie's lap, pressing herself on him. Then she climbed off Hot Pie's lap to remove her pants. They slid down her legs in a smooth movement. Gendry felt satisfaction in guessing her legs would be amazing. When she turned and faced the room to remove the jacket completely Gendry was given the most spectacular view of her breasts. They were still confined, but mouthwatering. He felt his body react to her. Watching her hands play with her breasts, slide along the fabric, made his breath come out harsh.

There was thirty seconds left in the song. It was then she removed her bra. The guys had been sitting with their mouths opened the entire time watching her dance. But once the bra came off someone said "Fuck." Another muttered perfect. Gendry thought, looking at her, I want that.

The song ended and she scooped her hat from the ground and kissed Hot Pie on the cheek.

"Now is this a party or not?" She demanded to the still silent room. The guys came back to life and Gendry was pleased that none of them were pawing at River. Lem even gave her the chef jacket back. River slid it on but didn't button it. Her breasts were just there. And every once in a while one of her tempting nipples pocked its way out of hiding.

"Where did you find her?" Tom asked after taking a shot with her for loosing the game they had been playing. River was laughing with Lem and Thoros, while she played her hands on the tops of her breasts, making the men in the room stop everything to watch her move.

"I just picked the first place in the book. She was opened for the night and that was it." Gendry bit out. His mouth ached to take the tip of her nipple into his mouth and taste it. He wondered if they were as good as they looked.

"She is a beauty. God what I wouldn't do to get that ass in my bed." Tom said, shaking his head.

"What, a man with your talents couldn't tempt her?" Gendry asked.

"Not even an eye flutter. She plays a good game, but she is not on the game. I guess that's good." Tom took a beer and went to sit back down on the couch.

It had been half an hour since River had come to the party when she clapped and got everyone's attention.

"So now that I've gotten to know you all a bit and gave the man of the hour his dance, who wants one?" She asked. The guys all shot their hands into the air. This time River took an iPod doc out of a bag she had retrieved from the hall and plugged her own music in. Cheesy 80's music and modern pop songs came out of the speakers and all the men got a dance. She swayed, gyrated, and tempted them all. It was maddening watching her move that way. It was fluid, totally controlled. She touched and flashed just enough to tempt, but nothing that would drive anyone over the edge.

Gendry just stood back and was now on his second beer. He noticed that River didn't move as sensually to her own music as she had to the Jonny Cash song. Yes, she moved her flat stomach, shook her ass, and bounced her tits, but there was no real pleasure in the movements like there had been with the first dance.

When Lem was getting in the chair, again for a second dance, River smiled at him and shook her head.

"No seconds until everyone gets a dance first." She looked over her shoulder at Gendry, who was behind the bar that divided his kitchen from his living room. He had wanted something he could hide his ever-growing erection behind.

She walked over to the bar and looked him right in the eyes. There was a tempting smile on her lips. Gendry just watched her. She wiped her brow with the sleeve of her jacket, flashing her breasts at him. He swallowed convulsively.

"Sorry love, but I'm just a watcher." Gendry said and he tried to smile.

"Do you also fetch?" She asked, leaning her body against the counter, mirroring his pose, but creating a very nice view for him to look at. He wanted so bad to look away from her eyes, but he knew that is what she wanted, this was a test and he would win.

"Depends on what the lady wishes." He said smiling.

She scowled and stood up. The jacket creating a frame for the dark blue panties that hugged her ass. The girl worked out, Gendry was pleased to see. She almost had abs the way he did. But they didn't look like a body builders. The more Gendry saw the more he wanted.

"Water. That's what I want." Gendry almost choked on his beer, and then he realized what she wanted. She was thirsty and wanted some water.

"Your wish," he walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, "is my pleasure to fulfill." He said placing the water before her. She smiled, not a fake show smile, but a real one. She sipped the water and Gendry looked at the clock. 1:19.

"It looks like most of the guys are done for the night. They all crashing here?" River asked him, noticing him look at the clock.

"Fuck no. These assholes are all going home. In cabs." He said to clarify. "I have work to do once they are gone." He called the cab company and River dressed. She was back in her baggy pants but traded her chef jacket for a Doctor Who hoodie with River Song on it.

River offered to help and get the guys in their cab. Gendry was grateful for her help. He would never have been able to get them out of his place without her. She led them all down the stairs dancing and singing a naughty song down to the waiting cab. More then one of them tried to drag her into their cabs, but Gendry used his impressive body to get her out of the clutches of his friends.

"Not tonight boys. Bed time for me." She said laughing.

"I have a bed. Nice and soft." Tom said as he swayed on his feet.

"I have my own feather bed to sleep in Tom." She said as she pushed him into the cab and shut the door in his face.

"That's the last of them." Gendry said as the cab pulled away. "Um, thanks for being here and doing this." He kicked at the ground. He didn't know what to say.

"Hey, you all were pretty tame. I only had to smack Tom for trying to take off my pants once." She smiled at him. He felt his cock twitch at the memory of her ass in the air, covered by her lace panties.

"Yeah, he is a bit of a slut. Never met a girl he couldn't get into his bed." He joked.

"Until tonight." She smiled again and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well my cars right over there." She nodded to a black Impala parked next to the curb.

"Then this is goodnight?" He asked.

"Yep." She hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder. The wind blew her long blond hair into her eyes.

"Thanks again." He said walking to his door and he escaped into his building. He didn't want to watch her get into her car and drive away. He would have said she should come back up and give him the dance he had refused. He made it back to his flat and stood with his back against the door.

"Fuck." He racked his hands through his hair. He was such an idiot. Why had he not taken his lap dance like the rest of them? She was magic and he had let her go. He shook himself thinking that at least he would have memories to help him with later that night. He went and started to clean up the mess. He was putting glassed into the dishwasher when his intercom buzzed. He walked over and pressed the button.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Waters? It's um, River. My car has a flat. And my phone is dead. Can I come up and use yours to call road side assistance?" Her voice filled his apartment and he stopped breathing.

"Yeah. Let me buzz you in." He pressed the button and flew back to cleaning up. By the time she knocked at the door his place was cleaner.

"Hey, thanks." She said when he opened the door.

"No problem." He held the door for her and she ducked under his arm. He smiled at this. She walked over to the window looked down at her car.

"I could change the tire for you." He said behind her.

"I don't have a spare." She said.

"Oh." He said lamely. "Here's my cell." He handed her his phone and she made her call.

"I need a tow to my house." She said to whomever she had called. "Right, okay. Thanks." She stabbed end and gave him back his phone. "They wont be here for another hour." She huffed.

"Make yourself at home then." He said. He took plates into his kitchen and placed them in the dishwasher.

"Can I use your bathroom?" She asked.

"Sure. See that hall?" She nodded. "Go right. The door on the left is the bathroom."

She made her way to the bathroom and he finished his rinsing of the dishes and putting the food away in the fridge. He put the rest in the dishwasher, stood in the kitchen, and took his first shot of the night. The liquor burned going down, but it was a nice burn. He felt like he would need it for the hour she would be with him. He looked over to his hallway when he heard the bathroom door open. When he looked at her, she was not the same girl as the one who had left him minutes ago. This girl had black wavy hair, not straight blond. And her eyes were grey, not green.

"It was a wig." She said hesitantly.

"Um, right. For the act?" He asked slowly. She nodded. "And the contacts are too?" She nodded again. She walked over to the bar and took a seat on one of the stools.

"Thanks for letting me hang." She said, fluffing her hair.

"It's no big deal." He put soap into the washer and turned it on.

"So what are you?" She asked. "You don't seem like the rest of those guys. You have great control."

"I'm going to law school. I have my thesis to finish." He said, pulling out two waters from the fridge and handing her one. He took a long drink from his and watched her toy with her cap. "What about you?"

"I'm an actress." She answered, not looking up.

"Really? So this is what, a job to pay the bills?" He asked. He felt like a dick when the words were out of his mouth.

"Partly. My professor thinks it will be good for my confidence." She took a swig from the water.

"Stranger homework assignment." He said walking out of the kitchen and standing beside her.

"Well, I kind of like it." She smiled at him. "It is amazing, knowing I have this power over men." She shook her head and looked away from his gaze. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." He said. "What harm can a question be?" He joked.

"Why didn't you want a dance from me?" She asked.

Gendry swallowed and cursed under his breath. He took his now warm beer from the counter and drank half of it in one gulp. What could he tell her? That if she pressed her body to his he would have lost control. That he would have carried her off to his bed and done all the things to her he had pictures doing to her as she danced in nothing but those lace blue panties.

"I, ah, I don't know." He choked out.

She laughed.

"What about now?" She asked.

He finished his beer and went to the fridge for another. He took two and handed her the second as he drank his. He walked to his couch and sat. That was better. Now that he wasn't next to her, smelling her intoxicating sent he could think.

"Now? What's the point? The party is over." He said.

"Yeah." She walked over and sat in the chair opposite him. "What if I said I wanted to dance for you?" She asked, looking him full in the face.

"Maybe?" He asked.

"Maybe?" She said slowly.

"What if I said I had one condition?" He answered.

"What condition?" She shot back.

"I want to know your name." He said slowly. She opened her mouth, but he went ahead. "I know your name isn't River. I figured it out when I saw the hoodie." He said.

She looked down at her shirt and then into his eyes and laughed.

"I was stupid for bringing this thing with me. Most guys don't get the reference." She said. She began to remove the hoodie. Gendry took a long drink from his beer. She wasn't in just the bra anymore. She had a black taken top on and it hugged her body tightly. This was not any better than her being in just the bra.

"I'm a fan of the show. The other guys were too drunk to get it. " He finally said.

"Who is your favorite?" She asked, but he knew what she was doing.

"Not going to work, River." He said with a smile.

"Damn you." She drank from her beer. "Fine Waters. My name is Arya." She leaned back in her chair, challenging him.

"I'm Gendry." He leaned across the coffee table and held out his hand to her. She looked at it and laughed. She took his hand and they shook. "Nice to meet you Arya."

"And you too Gendry." She kept ahold of his hand and stood, using his arm as leverage she hauled herself to her feet. She kept his hand in hers as she circled the table and stood in front of him. Once her legs were on either side of his knees she let him go. "I waited all night to dance for you Gendry." She finally said.

"Arya." He breathed as she took the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, letting it fell to the ground. There above him she stood in nothing but the blue bra. She chuckled suddenly.

"What's so funny?" He wanted to know. He couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"My underwear match your eyes." She said as she sat on his lap. His cock twitched against her leg and he tried to shift his position. "Don't move Waters."

She had given an order and he had to obey her. He stayed still, afraid to move. Her breasts, the ones he had imagined just an hour ago of taking in his mouth, were right in front of him, covered by nothing more than lace. She began to sway in his lap, to music only she could hear. She worked her pelvic on his lap, her tits bouncing as she moved. He kept his hands in fists at his side.

She lifted her right leg and swept it over his head so she was faced away from him. Her ass kept up the movement she had begun facing him. She ran her hands over his legs, lingering on his thighs before moving to her own body. She did the same leg trick and was facing him. Her breasts were free of the bra, yet it was still on. She swayed and the creamy mounds came ever so close to brushing his face. Her hands were now on his shoulders. She used his body to dance with. As her movements slowed, her hands had made their way to his hands and she twined her fingers with his.

She had stopped moving, stopped dancing. She had only taken her tank top off, but Gendry felt as if she was totally exposed to him. They both sat there, looking the other in the eyes. His breath came in short pants and he was shocked to note hers were as well. She moved their joint hands to her waist and pressed his hands to her bare skin. He took hold of her middle, but didn't move them from where she had put them. She moved her hands up his arms. His cock twitched again against her center and she pressed harder against him. He closed his eyes and felt her hands move. They were at his shoulders when he finally opened them. They continued moving until they were wrapped up in his hair.

"Gendry, what have you done to me?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"The same thing you have done to me sweet lady." He whispered. They were so close together that a deep breath from either would have had her chest with her erect nipples pressed to his thin shirt.

"I'm not a lady." She said with a slight growl to her voice.

"Whatever you say." He taunted. He wanted to close the small gap, but she was the one in control.

"I like the sound of that." She whispered, her lips almost touching his.

"Any other wishes tonight?" He asked.

"One." She said.

"What is it?" He asked, holding his breath.

"Kiss me?" She said. That was all he needed. He closed the distance between them and did what he had wanted to do since he had heard her voice over the phone. He placed his lips to hers. It was like a warm drink on a cold day. Like water when you were dying of thirst. His lips against hers was everything he had been looking for his whole life.

Her arms curled around his neck, pressing her naked upper body to his. Her erect nipples rubbed agonist his chest and his cock practically danced for her. She wrapped her legs around him as his arms pulled her closer.

Arya, the girl in his arms, not River, moaned into his mouth. He took this moment to lick her bottom lip, asking for entrance. She compiled by opening completely for him. He finally got to taste her essence. His tongue stroked hers, his lips sucked at hers. They were so perfectly matched in every way. The only problem was that his jeans were in the way between him and total bliss. But he took what she offered.

They pulled apart. Her gasps rang out into the silent apartments as his lips trailed down her neck to her throat and he licked and kissed her there.

"No marks." Her voice was strained, but he did as she wished.

Gendry fought his need to mark this temptress as his own. To send her out into the world with proof that he had been there, that he caused her to moan and shudder, just with his lips and teeth and tongue against her neck. Yet he held back. He refused his desire to go lower to the juicy flesh of her breast and bite there, marking her as his. He held back as his wish to caress her neck with his lips, to suck until his mark bloomed on her skin. But where he held back Arya did not. She forced his face from her skin and lightly traced her tongue on his neck then lower so she could mark him. The incredulity of her. He swore that one day he would pay her back.

Her hands fell from his neck and somehow made their way down his waits to the bottom on his shirt. She lifted until his arms prevented her further movement. Then she tugged. He obediently lifted his arms from around her and lifted them into the air. She slid the shirt over his arms and tugged softly until his lips broke contact with her skin. With a swift tug, the tee was gone from his body.

His hands came back to her body again, this time to her breasts and they were better than he could have dreamed. They filled his hands and her nipples pressed against his palms. He massaged and she moaned into his mouth. He licked her tongue before sliding his lips down her neck to her right tits peak. He paused there playing his lips on the tops of her creamy mounds.

"Taste me." She panted. He did not hesitate. He dipped his head to her berry colored nipples and drew one into his mouth. He delighted in the taste, the feel of it in his mouth. Then he gathered as much of her as he could hold and then began to suck. To his pleasure, she moaned beneath him. The vibration beneath his hands and the contact on her breast shot straight to his cock. It grew larger by the second. It was throbbing in time with his heartbeat. There was no way she could not feel it pressed against her.

She moaned again and her freed hands went to the buttons of his jeans, seeking the small a barrier between him and freedom. He would gladly have given his soul to her on the spot if it meant any kind of relief. Her hands stayed paused there, waiting for his welcome.

"Gendry?" She asked.

He answered by bringing his own hand to the center of her legs and fit his mouth back to her breast. He swirled his tongue in her nipple and she pressed her body down hard on his hand. He smiled feeling the moisture that was gathered there. She wanted him. He felt it. He rubbed his hand back and forth over her.

"Gendry." Arya panted. She pressed against him again. Her hands worked the button of his jeans and tried to unzip his fly. The angle was wrong and they both growled in frustration.

In one movement, he let go of her center and his hands slid to her ass. He took a moment to steady himself, them he lifted her up. She gave a startled squeal and locked legs tighter around him. They were kissing again, fighting for dominance. He walked them down the hall to his bedroom. For the first time since moving into the apartment, he cursed for taking the back bedroom. Somehow, he managed to get to the room, and open the door without dropping her.

He walked over to the bed and sort of tossed her to his bed. Arya gasped in shock, but ended up giggling. Gendry had watched the way her body had bounced when he threw her on his king sized bed. He smiled as she made her way to the center of his massive bed.

"Why do you have this big bed all for yourself?" She asked, propping herself on her elbows.

"I'm a tall guy." He shrugged. His hand opened the fly of his jeans. Her eyes shot down. "In every other bed I've owned my legs hang off."

His jeans slid down a few inches off his hips. Gendry took a small step closer to the bed and they slid down further. Arya sat up and reached for him. She took a hold of the fabric and slid it down his legs the rest of the way. He took his legs from the pants and he shimmied out of them. Gendry liked being the one to strip for her. He stood in his grey boxers, looking her right in the eyes.

"You are big." She said with a smile.

"Size comes with strength." He smiled as he placed his thumbs of the elastic of his boxers.

"I won't hurt you." She said, leaning closer to him.

He shot out his hand out and grabbed her wrist. She yelped, but it was swallowed with a kiss. He fell on her, but made sure not to crush her when he fell. She wrapped her legs back around his waist. They were pressed against each other in the most intimate way.

She pulled him onto her and his body sprang against her. His cock rubbed against her. They both moaned at the contact. But they were both frustrated, there was too much between their bodies still.

"Gendry." She panted as his hands traced her body.

"Arya." He said back into her neck.

"Should we be doing this?" She asked.

He froze. He leaned up from her neck and looked deeply into her stormy grey eyes. He saw her desire, her naked lust, but also her hesitance. He felt his body yell at him, screaming yes we need this, do it now. But his brain was telling him to pause and think. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He used his arm that was not tangled with her limbs to rake his hair.

"Shit." He breathed. He felt her turn onto her side and she molded her body to his, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I've never done anything like this." Arya said in a whisper. He pulled her closer to his body and rubbed his hand along her skin.

"Neither have I." He said to her. "I usually date someone a few times before we make our way here."

She leaned up on her elbow and looked at him. She had a curious look on her face. Her brow wrinkled and she kept looking at him for a full minute. He felt like he was being examined. Then she leaned down and kissed his lips softly.

"Gendry Waters, would you like to go have coffee with me on Friday morning?" She asked.

He couldn't help himself, he laughed. He didn't know why he was laughing. Maybe it was because of how serious she looked when she asked; maybe it was because his body was frustrated. But mostly because he was just about to ask her the same question.

"Yes Arya No Last Name. I will meet you for coffee Friday." He smiled at her. She leaned down and kissed him again. It was a slow kiss, tender, almost a thank you. He reached his hand up to cradle her cheek.

He had semi deflated since she had put on the breaks. Now instead of crazed he was feeling tender. He kissed her just as softly back. Her hand went to his chest to steady herself and her hardened nipples brushed his body. The movement was so tantalizing he almost broke down and took her. But he held back. He was the king of control. He would not do anything that she did not want to do.

Arya broke the kiss, but proceed to place soft kisses over his face. He had never had any of the girls he dated kiss his face like this. It tickled and it was playful and he found besides it being so different, he liked her attention. He ran his hands up her arms and he figured that he should pay her back for face tickling she was giving him.

He pretended to sensually stroke his hands along her spine. He traced the fingertips along her ribs, until his hands were on either side of her body. She had stopped kissing his face and had moved to place soft kisses on his neck. He figured now would be his moment. He flexed his fingers and proceeded to tickle her. She squealed and wiggled agonist him.

"Stop, oh no. Stop!" She yelped and fully collapsed on top of him. But he didn't stop. He liked the way her body wriggled on top of him. He went from soft to raging. He finally relented. She flopped down on him panting.

"You are such a bastard!" She said when she got her breath back.

He stiffened. She couldn't know that he was a bastard. He shifted slightly so his hard cock wasn't pressing into her. He argued with his mind. Part of him, the wounded part that hated being called a bastard, wanted to throw her out. The rational part said she had only called him that because he had tickled her. He went with the rational part of his mind. He pulled her close and kissed her brow.

"You are such a lady." He taunted, remembering her reaction from earlier.

"Truce then?" She asked.

"Truce." He kissed her temple and she snuggled into him. He almost liked this better than their kissing and touching. They stayed that way for what felt like forever but not long enough. Gendry liked her warm body next to him. It was the most peaceful feeling he had ever felt.

 _Buzz buzz_

His cell phone tang from his discarded pants on the floor.

"Who the hell?" He muttered and slid Arya off him and took the phone out of his pants. He swiped the screen and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm here for River? To get her home." A cool voice said on the other line.

"Um, yeah. River is right here." He said looking at the almost asleep Arya. He touched her shoulder and she became aware of him on the phone. She held out his hand and he gave it to her.

"Hey, you here?" She paused, listening to the man on the other end. "Right. Give me ten minutes." She ended the call and handed him back his phone.

"Your ride is here?" He asked.

"Yeah." She scooted to the end of the bed and stood up. She walked to the door and left the room.

He stood as well and slid into his pants. He followed her out of the room and watched her get dressed. She was already in her pants and her breasts were slipped back into the cups of her bra. Gendry smiled that even though he had tasted her breasts she had never taken it off. She slid her tank too over her head and shrugged into the hoodie. Then she slung her bag onto her shoulder and smiled weakly at him.

"Well I guess this is good bye." Arya said.

"Until Friday." He reminded her.

"Yeah." She walked over to him and kissed his lips. "Until Friday. I have your number. I'll text you later."

"Okay." He kissed her again but she broke it before it could become too much. She walked to his door and opened it. "Want me to walk you to the tow truck?"

She smiled at him but shook her head.

"I can handle it. Text you in ten hours. Get to work." She smiled at him and left his apartment, shutting the door behind her.

Gendry went over to the window that faced the street. He didn't see a tow truck, but he did see a man standing beside a very new BMW of sorts. It was to dark to see what it really was. Arya emerged from the building and walked over to the man. He watched them talk. The man took her by the shoulders and looked her up and down. His hands kept running over her arms.

Gendry did not like how this strange man was touching Arya. She was his. Well not really, the rational part of him shouted. But his inner caveman was not pleased. She was speaking rapidly and shaking her head whenever he asked her something. The man finally nodded and to Gendry's amazement, he kissed her forehead. The two of them got into their cars and drove away.

Gendry was confused at what he just saw, but his mind didn't dwell on it to much. He needed to get into a shower. A very cold shower and work out a block that was building inside him. He walked past the first bedroom in the apartment and placed his hand on the door.

"Lommy, you would have loved tonight." He said to the room beyond the door. He knew he was talking to an empty room, but he had done it every night for a year before turning in for the night.

He went to his bathroom and worked the shower so that the room filled with steam. He undressed, slid out of his clothing and stepped into the hot shower. He fiddled with the nozzle so it wasn't to hot to stand beneath the cascade of water. Once he stepped fully under the jet of water he took the soap and worked the bar over his body to create a lather.

He rubbed his hands over his arms and placed the soap on the shower caddy. He rubbed it over his abs and worked his hand to his still erect cock. He closed his eyes and pictured Arya, the way she had looked right before she has stopped them. He started stroking himself. He started working his hand slowly, but he worked up the pace. He felt the heat surge in him; he saw her eyes, her breasts in his mind. He had wanted her, even if she had been in a wig the most of the night. But he imagined the way she had looked when it was just the two of them.

He worked his stiff cock until it hummed and he felt the jet of liquid shoot out of the tip. It was as if he was now empty. He practically fell against the wall of the shower. Once he got his legs back from under him, he finished washing and got out of the shower. He just toweled off his body and walked to his room naked.

He collapsed down on his bed and slid under the sheets. He curled his body around the pillows and cuddled down into his king size bed. It was the first time that his large feather topped bed felt empty.

 _ **A:N I needed a fun no strings attached story while I work on my monster and try and finish my others. This seemed to**_ _ **be the perfect outlet. Let me know what you allt hink. I plan on only updating this one every two weeks. So let me know how you like it. Lots of love to my readers.**_


	2. Messages

**A/N I attempted to clean up some mistakes that were in the version I posted first. Let me just say my tablet and I don't always see eye to eye on word choices and after it dropped on the ground it has been even more wicked! But I'm going to do better edits I hope. I just hate spelling and grammar. Still enjoy and let me know what you think.**

Gendry slept horribly that night. He kept waking up with a stiff cock and a mind full of all the things he should have done to her when he had been given the chance. Nothing had helped get him back to sleep. He had given up hope of finally sleeping and slid out of bed around five thirty. He sat at his desk with his laptop opened and got to work on his thesis. He got the ten pages he wanted to make the night before so he felt good.

He was glad the day was Sunday. He took the time to finish cleaning his place from the party, did laundry and worked on his class work that wasn't his thesis. Around noon he called his friends to make sure they had made it home alive.

"Gendry if this is how you work as a best man, you are going to be mine." Likely Luke had told him when he called him. "That little lass was pure magic."

Gendry ground his teeth at Luke telling him how stiff Luke had fallen asleep once he and the others had made it back to Hot Pie's house the night before. He curtly cut Luke off and said he had just wanted to see if they were all right before getting back to homework.

"It was a pity Edric wasn't there. He would probably gotten her home with him." Likely had laughed as Gendry stabbed end. He made himself a sandwich and he was grumpy as he sliced his tomato. But as soon as he started eating, he wasn't as pissed. Food was a wonderful thing.

He wrote the rest of the day. It kept his mind off things. He had his spark going. His law books were opened and he was scouring the internet for extra points of defiance to his thesis on how the idea of trial by combat should not be abolished from the books in today's age of enlightenment. He had taken up this idea when a boy in his class in freshman year said that with trial by combat still on the books it put lawyers out of a job. Gendry had laughed and said it was a better option for people than having a lawyer. He said as long as the lawyer could stand in as champion it would even out in the end. His advisor had been intrigued and had been steering him in that direction all through his years in law school.

Gendry looked at the clock and saw it was after midnight and time for bed. He had classes at eight the next morning. He fell into bed and drifted off to sleep. As he slept, he saw laughing grey eyes, blue panties and breasts that would make a man weep. He turned and he tossed. Sleep was not his friend again. All he kept seeing was her laughing eyes. He decided he was going to have another sleepless night

He flung the blankets off and went to get himself some coffee. Gendry was pleased that he had an automatic coffee maker. He stood there waiting for the lingering images of Arya No Last Name to leave his mind. He sipped the steaming mug of coffee and wanted to text Arya. She had to have class today, so he didn't send the message he had already had written out.

 _Hey. It's Gendry. Just wanted to make you got home all right._

It was simple and to the point, but still he didn't send the message. He hopped into his shower before going to class and pumped another one out. This was the ninth time he had been forced to pleasure himself since she left. He got out of the shower and got dressed for his morning workout. He always went for a run in the mornings then hit the weights before he went to work at the bar at night.

He had his running gear on and his important information in his pockets heading out the door. His phone was burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted to send the text first but decided agonist it. It was only six in the morning. So he jogged down the stairs. This was his routine, jog down the stairs, out his door and down the ice covered street.

He felt the air sting his face when he exited his building and loved the sting to his skin. He felt his body working; his mind went blank as he ran. He forgot graduating with honors, about the sexy girl who haunted his dreams, about his best friend who had died. This was his peaceful place. His muscles moved and he worked his body hard. He ran fast down the semi deserted morning road.

He ran past the collage bookstore and rounded the corner to the gym locker room. His body was humming from the miles he had ran. He was pleased he wasn't even winded. He made his way to his locker and took his things to head to the shower. Since he stopped running his mind went back to Arya. He needed another shower and it wasn't only because he was covered in sweat. As he washed off his workout his mind once again traveled to Arya. He hit the wall in frustration. He did not want to be thinking of her.

She was in the shower with him in his mind. He wanted her. He let her push him against the wall and she fell to her knees before him. His hand wrapped around his cock and he pumped as the girl in his mind took him into her mouth. His hands mimicking the way her mouth would work him. He was close, so close his release. There was a loud noise in the locker room and his hand fell away from his cock.

"Hey man, Gendry you in there?" Lem shouted from the other side of the door.

Gendry swore before shouting back to his friend.

"Yeah. I'm here."

"Shit man I think I'm still hangover from the party. " Lem called to him.

"Yeah man." Gendry said with gritted teeth. "I'm glad you came to the party. Hey I need to finish showering."

"Yeah, no sweat man. I'll see you outside." The door shut and Lem left the room.

Gendry gritted his teeth. He wasn't hard anymore so he washed his body off and walked out of the shower. He wanted to just get his mind off Arya before he went to lecture. He knew that there would be no way he could concentrate for the next three hours if his mind saw naked Arya. He slipped the towel around his hips and walked out of the stall over to his locker. He took out the pair of jeans and the shirt he kept in there to change into after showers and slipped them on.

He checked out his phone and looked at the text draft once more. He should send the message now. He checked the clock, only seven fourth five. Still to early to text. He shoved his phone back into his pocket and went to meet Lem.

The guy was one of the only guys that scared Gendry by his looks alone. He had unkempt hair, always looked like he needed a shower and wore a yellow sweatshirt that was more grey brown then yellow anymore.

"Man I can smell you from here!" Gendry said holding his nose. It was an old joke. Lem never washed the sweatshirt. His excuses raged from he always forgot when he washed to throw it in to if he did his team would loose and they were so close to winning the whole season.

"Can't wash until after my next test. Bad luck." Lem said with a smile. He had a coffee in his hand and gave one to Gendry. "Man the party man. What is up with that girl? Where did you find her?"

Gendry could not deal with another one of his brothers talking about Arya like that. He wasn't dating her, but still. Why did they have to keep talking about her?

"She was just in the book." Gendry was not going to talk about her with anyone.

"River really knew how to shake it." Lem wiggled his hips and his coffee spilled on his shirt. He didn't even try to clean it up.

"Hey do you need my notes?" He asked to change the subject.

"Shit, yeah I do." Lem said.

They walked to a cluster of tables in the quad they were in and Gendry dug the notes out of the bag Lem had. Gendry hated caring his bag while he ran so Lem picked it up before lecture. His notes were detailed. He always took meticulous notes in their morning class. It was the hardest class the school offered on law. Professor Aemon was an old man, but he never missed a beat.

"This was everything from last week. Don't spill anything on it." Gendry said.

"I won't." Lem said as he shoved the papers in his bag.

Gendry looked up and he thought he saw Arya walking into the theater. He wanted to call out, to wave at her but he couldn't with Lem with him. She was leading a secret life. River was her secret name. There was no way he would out her. He took out his phone and pressed send.

He shoved the phone away and walked with Lem to his class. He turned the phone off so he would not interrupt the lecture. He was poised, laptop opened and ready to take notes. Professor Aemon walked into the room and a hush fell over the lecture hall.

"Now we left off Friday…"

Aemon spoke for three hours straight about the laws regarding sexual misconduct. Most of the hall had fallen asleep, but he kept taking notes. He even had his recorder on so he could play back the lecture as he read the notes later that night.

It was his nightly ritual. After class and work, he would go home, eat something then play back the lectures and go over his notes. His friends called him crazy for it, his old roommate was always telling him that. Now he sat in his apartment alone and no one walked around his place calling him a brown nosing crackpot. He turned his thoughts away from memories of sad things and went back to the lecture.

"And that is why you have to be vigilant on cases like these. The victims will be made to feel powerless. It is your job to be their strength and shield on these dark nights." The lecture ended and the hall started to stir. "Now I want you to remember that my firm is looking for interns, and my partner, Professor Mormont is going to be offering class credits for anyone who is deemed worthy of becoming one of our interns. We only take the best. Class dismissed."

Gendry stood and stretched. He was now thankful of his run. His muscles would have been as sluggish as the others in his lectures would if he would not have run. He took out his phone and switched it on. He waited for it to reboot. He waited impatiently for it to show if any messages had been sent to him.

There was a message in his inbox. He wanted nothing more then to open it, but he waited until he was away from Lem. The man had a gift of finding out secrets.

"So you want to walk across campus with me to our next class?" Gendry asked. He hoped the answer would be no.

"Yeah." Lem said. "But I need to hit the head to pee."

They walked to the closest toilet. Gendry decided not to go in with Lem. That was a girl thing. He opened his phone to his texts. There waiting was a message from Arya.

 _I made it home. My car is all better. What are you up to today?_

That was it? Well he had sent her a very bland text first.

 _Just got out of lecture. Heading to my next class. You weren't on campus earlier today going into the theater by any chance?_

He felt like a stalker asking but he had to know if she was the girl he saw. Before the reply came in Lem walked out of the bathroom shaking his head.

"Fuckers removed all the paper towels. Give me something to wipe my wet hands on. I don't want them to freeze." He demanded as he walked to Gendry. He rooted around in his pack and took out a towel for his friend. Lem wiped them off on the towel and gave it back to him. They walked to their next class together. Gendry was mad that he couldn't look at his phone. He had another lecture, but this one was interactive. Professor Baelish had a tendency to call on Gendry to make arguments or to refute arguments of other students. Normally Gendry didn't mind this, but today he just wanted class to be over.

Finally the lecture ended. He only had two classes a day, but they were both three hours long, so his days were full. His fingers were twitching as he looked at his screen on his phone. He had two messages and they were both from Arya.

"So do you want to grab a bite to eat or something?" Lem asked sweetly.

"No man. I have to go work on my…" Gendry started.

"Your thesis. I know." Lem finished for him. "Fuck man we never see you."

"I only have a few hours to work on it today before I work. Come over to The Forge tonight. I'll give you a free drink." Gendry smiled.

"You slinging drinks tonight at The Forge? Shit man. I'll go just to see the girls dropping their panties for your smiles." Lem said with a wicked smile.

"Yeah, right." Gendry laughed. "Just give me a few hours and when I'm at work I'll let you know." They parted ways. Gendry walked home in the cold.

He stripped out of his clothes as soon as he opened the door to his house. He padded his way to his bathroom with the phone in his hand. He stood in his bathroom looking at the messages. He opened the first one from Arya.

 _It was me. I told you I was theater major. We are getting ready for the winter production. Phantom of the Opera. I'm playing Christine. Want to see my dancing girl costume?_

The second message was a picture of Arya in a very skimpy see through piece of fabric. He gulped looking at the image. What the hell was she thinking, sending him that picture? Her hair was down around her shoulders, her lips were the same kissable bow he remembered, and her eyes were done with a smoky shadow that left them wide and innocent. She was every man's wet dream.

He wanted to make his stiffer then wood cock stop throbbing, but instead he texted her back.

 _I just got home from lectures. Man were they dull._ _J I loved the costume. I am going to work on my thesis and then head off to work. Want to see what I get to wear tonight?_

Gendry hopped into the shower while he waited for her reply. It was his third one for the day but his last lecture made him feel slime covered. He was thankful that he was alone in his apartment. He took the time to think of her in that skimpy costume and what he would do to her when she was out of it. He pumped his hand until he exploded. He sagged against the wall of his shower stall. He felt much so better after. He was breathing hard and his body felt weak. But he smiled. His fantasy was something that would be keeping him sane for as long as he could keep it alive.

He wrapped a towel around his hips and took a selfie. He wasn't kidding when he said it was what he usually wore to work. The bar he slung drinks at had a faulty furnace and was always sweltering. He usually ended up stripping off his shirt to stay cool. There was a reason the place was called the Forge.

He took his phone with him to the living room to sit at his desk. He left the towel on as his only clothes. He liked the freedom and the breeze he felt on his body. He tended to walk around naked. When his roommate had been alive this had made life difficult. Lommy hated coming home to see Gendry doing Cross Fit in the buff. Gendry smiled at the memory.

He sat down and booted up his computer. He clicked on his latest thesis chapter. This one was about due process. He stated that because the laws of the lame still deemed trial by combat as a legal means to seek justice the idea still held precedence to any legal disputes that entered the courts. He wrote down his evidence and sited his sources. Gendry was on a roll and for two hours he just wrote. It was an hour before his shift when he saved one final time and looked at his phone.

Arya had sent him two texts. He smiled and read them both.

 _That is seriously what you look like at work? Where do you work? If it's a place where you get to walk around half naked I must ask are they hiring? Lol._

 _So are you going to tell me where you work? I know we agreed to meet for coffee but maybe I could stop over at your job, since you've seen me at mine. I think we need to even things out._

Gendry laughed at her brass. He thought about it for a moment and decided to tell her where his night job was.

 _I work as a drink slinger at the Forge. I start my shift in half an hour. Come on by and I'll give you a very lady like drink on the house tonight._

He finally went to his room and dressed. He pulled on a pair of boxers, he took a chance and grabbed his black silk pair. They had been a gift from an ex-girlfriend. The relationship only lasted three weeks, but he kept his gift when they broke it off. Next were a pair of his very worn, very faded jeans. They were loose but they still hugged his body in all the right places. Next came a lightweight black tee. It hugged his body like a second skin. He looked at his closet and decided he needed two more things for the night. He pulled out the grey vest front his only suit he owned. Then he pulled on socks and ankle boots.

He left his room satisfied with his outfit for the night. He grabbed his leather jacket and his helmet from the coatrack and left his apartment. He walked down the stairs to the garage for his building. His car sat in his spot. It was his "wife". That's what Lommy used to call his car. It was a flat black 1967 Chevy Impala. He had built if from the chassis up. In front of the" wife" was his "baby. His 1960 Harley Davidson motorcycle rested. He usually didn't ride it in winter, but he needed the bite of the cold night air to freeze him flaccid before he walked into work.

He wheeled his bike out of its spot and straddled the machine. He kicked it to life and felt the purr to the engine between his muscular legs. He loved his car, but his bike gave him a freedom he never felt before. He slowly pulled out of the underground garage and pulled carefully onto the snow-covered street. He drove the five miles to the bar and parked under a stairway so his bike was protected. There was a line outside waiting to enter when the bar opened. In summer the place was dead, but come winter this place was the hottest joint in town.

"Waters, you are late." Mott hollered when he walked in to the backroom where the staff kept their things.

"No I'm not boss." He shouted back.

"The line of freezing customers out there beg to differ." The old man retorted when he walked out of his cubby of an office. "Now I know you are working on that thesis of yours to get those damned honors and I'm damned proud of you. But you are fifteen minutes late. How can I open the bar without my best slinger behind my bar?"

"You can't boss. I was caught up with things." Gendry said with a shrug.

"You were primping Waters. Took your time getting dressed. Just get out to the bar!" Mott shouted back as he made his way back to his air-conditioned office.

Gendry stowed his helmet and jacket in his locker and smiled it shut. He had come into work with a slight high, but being chewed out by his boss put a damper on his mood. He walked past the postmark-sized kitchen and waved in to Hot Pie.

"Hey man. Thanks for the party. I had to explain it all to the soon to be misses, but after I told her River just danced around she cooled down. She was amazed you got is a stripper." He yelled at Gendry as he walked past.

He didn't reply, just headed out to the main room of the bar. It was all wood and metal ductwork. The infamous furnace all over the walls. Heat already poured out of the room. The wood gleamed in the fake touch light. The amber light flickered off the surfaces. The glasses of the bottles gleamed in the touch light. Gendry told a deep breath, loving the smell of the wood polish and the liquor of the place.

"Fuck Waters. Those chicks out there are acting like a of bitches in heat and the only thing that will sooth them is a deep cool glass of Water." Clegane barked out. He was the backup bartender at the Forge. Gendry liked the big hulking man, but his face scars made him not popular with the female clients.

"I was working Hound." He shot back. He took a pristine glass from behind the bar filled it with ice and poured himself a tall glass of water. He set it down and singled to Hound to open the doors. Hound Clegane worked as the bouncer as well as a drink slinger.

The hordes of waiting patrons flowed into the bar seeking its warmth. A cacophony of noise entered with them. Gendry started lining up shot glassed and began pouring drinks as the orders were shouted at him. Music started to thrum out of the jukebox and girls started to strip out of their winter coats to reveal skimpy outfits underneath. They danced to the music with their drinks in their hands.

He poured and flirted for an hour before sending his bothers a text when he took a break to catch his breath. He chugged his fifth cup of water and was taking a piss. Gendry was a multitasker.

 _Boys the Birds are out in force tonight, all with magnificent feathers on. Come on down now and take your pick._

It was a mass text to his band of merry men and he knew that in half an hour they would all be there to snag themselves a date to tumble into their bed with at the end of the night. As he put himself back into his pants and washed his hands he contemplated on how to word the next text.

 _Hey Milady. I'm at work but was thinking of you on my break. You want that drink?_

Her reply was instant. He smiled at her eagerness.

 _I'm outside now waiting to get in. I didn't know this was THE PLACE to be. Can you grease the wheels and get me in now? I'm freezing my ass off out here._

Gendry laughed as he walked out of the room and headed to the door of the bar. He sent her another text.

 _I'm at the door. Wave your hand and I'll rescue you from freezing that lushes ass of yours off._

A hand shot into the air and waved as it the owner of the hands life depended on it. He spoke to Hound in a whisper.

"See that hand waving in the air?" Gendry asked pointing out Arya.

"Yeah, what of it?" Hound barked back.

"Go get that bird and let her in. She's a friend of mine." Gendry turned away but stopped when Hound spoke.

"In the three years you've worked here the only people you've let in were your boys. Is this girl someone you have it in for?" Hound asked. He arched his one brow, the other lost in the accident that scared his face.

"I have it bad for her, yeah. But she's just a girl Hound. Nothing more to say." He got behind the bar to pour more drinks for the waiting horde of thirsty women.

"Oh Gendry darling there you are. I have been waiting for eternity for you. I'm parched and only you can quench my thirst." A girl in a barley there top purred as he took another glass of ice water and he gave her a winning smile. He knew he made her cream herself just a little with that look. It was the reason she had come here for.

"Give me a cosmopolitan. You make them the best." Fake Tits said with a flush look on her face. He mixed her drink and handed it to her, sliding his fingers on hers when he placed the cup in front of her. She walked away, leaving a large tip on the counter.

"Wow Waters. You have skills." Her voice said to his left. Gendry was struck dumb when he saw her. She was in another one of her wigs, this one was black and curled around her face, wisps of it tickling her collarbone. Her eyes were made large and innocent looking but her lips were blood red and lush. She wore a pale yellow halter-top that left her back bare. Her skirt flowed from her waits where the top was tucked in. He swallowed hard; this was just another image to help him in his task to win the world record in jerking off.

"I'm a man of many talents. What's with the getup?" He asked.

"Wardrobe checks. This is one of our costumes in a final for my dramatic interpretation class." She shrugged her shoulders at him. He noticed an apple tattoo on her right shoulder; it was dripping with a purple color poison from the red orb. He didn't remember her having it last time he saw her. "So what is this girly drink you were telling me about?"

"I was thinking of making you one of my lemon drops. Something sweet but sour at the same time." He reached under the counter, took a chilled martini glass, and mixed up the drink for her. He slid the glass over to her and she picked it up. She gave him a salute and took a drink. He had made it a little stronger then normal but she seemed to like it.

"This is the best lemon drop I've ever had." She smiled her blood red lips at him. She licked her lips to get the sugar off from the rim of the glass. "Very tasty."

He wanted to lean over wipe the rest of the sugar still clinging to them off for her with the tip of his tongue. But that would not be a good idea. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop at just one kiss. She looked edible in her costume. They stood there for a few moments just looking at each other.

"Snow we need our drinks." A blond girl in a silver blue cheerleading costume called out to Arya making her blink and turn her head away from his gaze.

"I'm on my way Cin. Don't get your panties in a twist. Just talking to the barman here." She shouted back.

"Snow?" Gendry asked. It was a name given to bastards. He wondered if that was her last name. If so he could do some research on the mysterious vixen.

"Snow White. Me and my girls are portraying fairy tale princess with a modern twist for our performance." She gestured to the five girls sitting at a table across from the bar. "We have Cinderella, Ariel, Bell, Aurora and Jasmine in your bar tonight." She smiled at them and waved her hand. They all cat called over to her and pointed at Gendry.

"Princesses huh? Does that mean you all are out looking for a prince tonight?" He started mixing five lemon drops for the girls and she watched the way his muscles worked in his arms. She took a sip from her drink and gave him that half smirk he found so tempting.

"Maybe. The night is young. Are you offering to be my Prince Charming?" She asked as he set the glasses on a tray.

"I'd be whatever you need me to be. You are Snow White after all, fairest of them all. I'm just a mere mortal, bound to do your every wish." He said.

He always bantered this way with female customers. It always got him better tips. She laughed as he moved from behind the bar to follow her to her table with the drinks for her friends.

"Hell Gendry you are good with words." They were at the table and he placed the drinks on the table. "Ladies we have lemon drops. This man was kind enough to make us his specialty." She held her glass in the air, the others took theirs, and they clinked glasses.

"My god this tasted like sin in a glass. Whoever you are I think I just lost my heart to you." The girl dressed up as Bell said after downing half the drink.

"I'm a man of many talents, or so I've been told." He told the table. They all giggled. Arya just looked at him with her smoldering grey eyes. He smirked at her.

"Bull!" Lem's voice boomed from the door. "Get us that pitcher of beer you promised."

Gendry turned and saw his boys swagger into the bar. Jack was already drunk, Dick was looking around for a dance partner and Edric was smirking at him with the Princesses. He glanced down at Arya and she smiled. He felt his guts twist. He hadn't thought about this. The guys had seen Arya and he hoped they didn't recognize her.

"Excuse me ladies. I have to get that motley crew their beer before they start breaking things." He waded into the crowd to pour his pals their beer. He swore under his breath as he got clean glasses out and filled them.

"Gendry those girls at that table are fine. What did this dump do to get girls that hot here?" Edric asked as he looked at the six girls in question.

"I bet they saw him running and followed him here for those abs he has." Tom said looking at the table.

"No idea. They are from the theater department. Maybe they are doing research on slumming it." He bit out. He did not want Tom to look at that table for to long. He was sure Tom would recognize Arya as River the Stripper. He was attempting to shoo his friends away from the bar and direct their attention to some other girls when Arya walked over with an empty glass in hand. He stopped breathing. She looked him right in the eye and smirked at him again.

"I need another." She gently placed her glass down and he took it automatically. He made her a fresh drink on autopilot as he watched his friend's faces for signs of recognition.

"Well hello there. I'm Tom. What's your name beautiful?" Tom was leaning close to her and giving her his lady killer smile.

"I'm Snow White. Nice to meet you Tom." She gave him a blinding smile as she looked him over. Gendry let out a breath. Tom didn't recognize her. She was safe, sort of.

"Snow White, like the Disney princess?" Jack asked.

"Yep, the very one. Nice to meet you all." She turned away, her hips swaying as she walked. She stopped and turned back with a confused look on her face. "Oh drat. Could you bring us a pitcher of beer? What ever is on tap? These are so yummy but we also want some beer. Is that alright, Gendry right?"

Gendry just stood there with his mouth opened. She had gone from a confident woman to a simpering girl in mere seconds. He blinked and closed his mouth. He cursed at himself; he reminded his brain she was an actress after all.

"Um, right." He fumbled for a pitcher and glasses. He felt like an idiot.

"We have a pitcher." Thoras said quickly. "All you need are some glasses. We could join you and your friends."

Arya looked as if she had won a prize. Gendry suspected that if she weren't holding a glass she would have clapped her hands like a child.

"That is a wonderful idea. Thank you for offering to share." She smiled like a happy little girl. The guys followed her to the table. Soon they were all acting like old friends having a great time together while Gendry worked.

Gendry wanted to go with his friends, to have a few drinks and see what this incarnation of Arya Still No Last Name would be like. But he was stuck behind the bar. It was eleven at night things were just picking up. It was a Monday night but the place was still packed. He poured shots, mixed drinks, slung beers and smiled at all the girls who came to look at him. He flirted, acted like a fool, he made the women linger to watch him move and shake as he mixed his drinks. He loved his work. It was a way to shut out school, be around people and everything else on his mind disappears. Tonight he wasn't able to do it. Every so often he glanced at the table with the princesses and his mates. They were on their second pitcher of beer and someone had ordered onion rings.

"Beautiful Jasmin please accept this ring as a token of my devotion." Beric said offering the ring of onion to the girl. She smiled and leaned down and ate it from his fingers. A lout hoot came from the table. Gendry looked up again. Edric was talking to Arya and they seemed to be in a deep conversation. Gendry was feeling his anger rise. He had invited her here tonight and after that initial interaction with her, she had ignored him.

After pouring shots for a group of co-eds, he told Hound he was taking five. Gendry was sweating and he decided it was time to take off the tee. He slipped the vest off and was sliding the tee over his head. He let the almost cool air slide over his body. He flexed his muscles, feeling the tension in his back protest at the movement. One of the things having muscles did when you used them to much was get tight. He did a few more stretches and slipped the vest back on. He usually wore no shirt at all, but he wasn't in the mood to be hit on or not to much. It was after all part of the job.

His five minutes were up so he walked back to the bar. The Fake Tits was back for her fourth drink, slightly drunk, watching him with hungry eyes. He walked over to her and gave her a warm smile.

"Another Cosmo darling?" He asked.

"How about a shot of something?" She slurred. She leaned out and her ample cleavage was on display. He took a shot glass out and poured vodka into the glass. "And one for you Muscles."

"I don't drink while I'm on duty." He said.

"Just one with me? Please. I know you need one. Working like you do, you need a drink." She pouted her lips and he sighed. He placed another glass out and poured the vodka in. He had been telling the truth, he didn't drink while on duty, but the laughter from his friends made him want a drink.

"With a pretty girl offering how could I refuse?" He held the clear liquid up to clink his shot with hers. He threw it back and felt the delicious burn slide down his throat.

Fake Tits shot her drink and set down the empty glass on the bar. She shook her fake red hair around her head and then looked up at him. She licked her lips and leaned in close. She ran her hands on his exposed chest and fluttered her lashes at him.

"So when do you get off work?" She purred, but the attempt was slightly ruined by the drunken slur.

"Excuse me hon, but this one is taken for the night." A cold voice said from behind her. Gendry had been looking at the massive amount of blobs as they spilled out of her top, he was just a hot-blooded male after all. He looked up and saw Arya behind the girl. A small manicured hand was suddenly on the frozen girl's wrist that was on his chest. Fake Tits let out a hiss of surprise then pain as Arya twisted the wrist.

"I am only going to say this once, and this is the nicest thing I'm going to say. Do not touch." She pulled the hand away from him and smiled at the girl. "Do we understand each other?"

"But you're with those guys." The other girl stuttered.

"I am with no one, but this one is not for the taking." Arya had a smile on her face, but her words were serious. Fake Tits mumbled whatever and walked away to hit on Luke. She shot back a glance at Arya. What ever she saw in Arya's eyes spooked her. When Arya looked back at Gendry she was frowning. "How could you allow her to touch you? Is that the kind of girl you like?"

Gendry was a little stunned. He was getting a lecture from her? A girl who took her clothes off for other men? His anger that had been under the surface all night roared to life. He was not going to let her berate him about his job.

"Look Snow," he put anger into that one word. "This is my job. You have yours and I have mine. I flirt, I pour, I even take my tee shirt off, but that's it. I'm not about to let some stripper give me a lecture." He walked down the bar to a waiting man waving a 20 in the air. He took it and poured a pitcher for him.

Arya slid in front of him blocking him from the next waiting person.

"Why did you invite me here tonight?" She demanded.

"I wanted to see you." He growled.

"And you did. I'm out having fun. What's the big deal?" She asked.

"I'm trying to do my job. What is your deal?" He demanded right back.

He moved past her again to pour shots for a group of guys at the end of the bar. He did not want to argue with Arya. He was off in half an hour, he didn't need this shit. He angrily poured the shots and was gruff with the frat guys so the left without giving him a tip. He was pissed and told Hound to take over.

"Don't you fucking walk away!" Hound yelled over the noise. "Fucking hell Bull I need you out here."

"Tough shit!" He yelled over his shoulder.

He stormed out of the bar and into the back room. He paced back and forward. He could not believe Arya lecturing him. He walked to Motts office and startled the old man. He had been dozing in the office but he jumped when Gendry entered.

"I have to call it quits tonight Mott. I can't pour right now." He barked.

"Boy your shift isn't over yet. You get back out there and finish your shift." Mott shouted. "You are my money maker. Those people out there come here for you."

"I just can't do it tonight. I am not a piece of meat to be pawed over." He shouted back as he walked to his locker.

"Is it that girl? Is she doing this?" Mott demanded from his doorway.

Gendry froze with his hand on his leather jacket. He slowly turned to look at the old man.

"Hound told me you let a bird in." Mott said walking slowly out of the office. "I know all about her. And I saw her. She is a fine piece of ass."

"She is not a piece of ass." Gendry bit out. He slid into his jacket and reached for his helmet. He was even with Mott when he spoke again. "She nothing, you hear me old man?"

He walked past his boss and his hand was on the door when Mott spoke again.

"The last time you were like this your best friend had died. I remember how you acted those weeks after. I'll let you go tonight but this is the only time I will do it. Get your head on right Bull. Wednesday you are here from start to close." Mott walked back to his office and shut the door.

Gendry pushed the back door opened and the cold washed over him. A loud roar erupted from his throat. He threw his helmet at the dumpster. He walked closer to it and punched its side. Mott's words rang in his ears. He stood there breathing hard. After he learned of Lommy's death, he had gone out there and got something to take the edge off. Booze hadn't worked, women didn't either. He had gone out and found the refuge Lommy used to turn to. He had never done hard drug before but that first time he felt nothing. By the fifth time, he was unable to function without it.

Hot Pie had found him then. He had rallied the brothers and with the help of Hound had kept him in his bedroom for a week until he came down. He had broken everything in his room that first day, but when they finally let him out, he was Gendry again. He had not felt the need for drugs since those dark days but seeing Arya flirt and then her lecture and demands made him want to numb everything.

He fought the need and breathed deeply. He was the master if control he could beat this. He picked up his helmet and shoved it on his head. He walked over to his bike and it roared to life. He drove to his place and parked the bike. Up in his apartment he stripped down again. He still felt hot and he turned the A/C on to blast cold all over the apartment. He left his jacket, vest and jeans on the floor as he walked tombs kitchen to take the whisky out of the freezer. He grabbed a tumbler off the counter, poured a double into his glass, and drank it down in one swallow. He poured the second round in his glass and walked to his living room to switch on his big screen. He wanted to get Arya off his mind but he didn't know how. His eyes scanned the media center when his eyes fell on a porn movie Edric had sent over for the party.

"Why the fuck not." Gendry putting down his glass and placed the DVD in the player. He skipped to the menu and pressed play. Some spaceship entered the scene and idiocy talking between the two chick aliens was passing him off. He took a large drink from his glass and it was suddenly empty. He set the glass down and walked to the kitchen for the bottle. He had just sat down again and his intercom buzzed.

"Waters I know you are in there. Let me the fuck in!" Arya shouted.

He stomped to the intercom and barked into the box.

"Go the fuck away Arya. I'm sure Edric misses you. And that guy that picked you up the other night? Go find him." He shouted.

"Fuck off Water. Let me up or I'll buzz everyone in this building until someone let's me in!" She yelled.

He swore under his breath and pressed the unlock button for the front door. He walked back to his bottle and poured himself another drink. He was downing it when Arya was suddenly in his place. He forgot to lock the door when he entered. She slammed the door and looked at him. Her chest was heaving and he could tell she was pissed.

"You do not just get to walk out on me when I'm fighting with you." She yelled at him.

"You do not get to criticize me when I'm at work." He yelled back.

They stood there across the span of his living room both mad as hell, but under that all there was something that had nothing to do with anger but of things interrupted. They both had a burning need for one another. She moved first. She jumper over the couch and he rushed to her and grabbed her face in his hands.

Their lips crushed together. There was nothing but anger and aggression in this kiss. He ripped her jacket off and she pushed him back until he hit the bar with a thud. She was making him bend to her and thought she was in control but he was not going to allow her to be the boss, not tonight. She had come to him, she wanted him, so he had the power. He growled and grabbed her ass and lifted her up on his body. He spun them so her ass was on the counter. He kept his mouth locked on hers. Her teeth were working his lips and he wanted her tongue. He took it when it darted out and sucked on it. She arched and his hand took her breasts in his hand. He balled his hands in the fabric of her top and pulled. The sound of ripping fabric was loud.

The shook of her top ripping off her body made her pull her lips from his and he moved his freed mouth to her exposed breasts. He found her nipple and sucked relentlessly on it. He was relentless. He had wanted to mark her despite her telling him not to last time they were together. This time he moved to the underside of her left breast and bit down on her flesh. He marked her and she held his head to her flesh, holding him there while he marked her. He removed his head from her breast but kept a contact with her skin. He used his tongue and teeth to move down her stomach until he got to the waist of her waist of her skirt. He didn't care she was in a skirt after all. He was on his knees now and her milky thighs were inviting him to mark as his own. He decided on the left thigh and sank teeth into the inner thigh almost touching her crouch. He bit down and she hissed. He let up from the pressure and soothed her with kisses and licks. He moved to the covered mound between her legs. He flipped the skirt up so he could see her.

She kept her panties with the yellow theme of her top and he paused in delight to see the moisture glistening on the fabric already. He took no time in slavishly freeing Arya from her soaked panties. She had tried to help him but she growled and pushed her back on her elbows. This was his moment. He was doing this his way.

Once she was naked and free of everything obscuring his view her body was exposed and opened before him. He took a moment to look at her, just look at the beauty of her. She was perfect. He took a deep breath at the beauty of her before touching her. He moved in kissing her as if it was her lips. She shuddered and tried to clench her legs closed but his vice like grip on her thighs kept them opened to him. He attached her opening with a fever. He licked and kissed her, making her shudder and moan for him. He found her clit then and sucked on that throbbing little nub. She was writhing under his mouth and moaning so loud he thought his neighbor would complain in the morning but he didn't care. He wanted to make her his.

She came with a scream. Knowing he had satisfied her he spent a moment to lick her with long strokes. With every flick of his tongue, she shuddered. When he sat back on his heels she was laying back full on the bar gasping for breath. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled. He had her now. She was his in that moment and nothing could change that.

She laughed shakily as she leaned up on her elbows and looked at him. Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she looked at him. Her wig had come off in the course of the encounter and her brown hair was in a braid over her shoulder.

"If that's the way you resolve arguments I'm going to have to pick fights with you more often." She laughed.

"Don't even say that." He said as he collapsed back on the floor. He suddenly realized she might be satisfied but he was aching still with desire. He didn't want to look at her. If he did he would use her again to slack his need.

She slid off the counter and stood before him. She kept her eyes locked on his face as she let the skirt slide off her body. He swallowed deeply. Naked in nothing but her heels made him stiffer. He throbbed with his want for her. She looked at the TV then. He cursed as he remembered what he had playing when she bad barged in on him.

"So this was your plan? Watch porn and drink?" She asked above him.

He sat up on his elbows and didn't know what to say. He looked at the TV and a man was taking a woman in the shower. He turned back to her then and she was smiling down at him. Her eyes were glued on his erect cock. It poked out the hole of his boxers. It was there for her to see. He was hard and it was all she could look at.

She fell down to her knees and crawled over his body until her breasts were even with his dick. She smiled at him and felt his silken shorts. She ran her hands over him and purred with delight. She took him by surprise and placed her cheek on his silken covered thigh. She ran her face over him like a cat would. He wanted her to act not distract so he decided to do something. He lifted his hips and slid the silk shorts off his body until he was as naked as she was.

She pulled away while he had done that. She just stared at him. He felt embarrassed as she looked at him. Gendry had once had a girlfriend complain he was to big and sex had hurt. He looked at her face and there was no fear in her face, only want, need, desire. She scooted her body until her hands could clasp his. He sucked in a breath and let it out in a hiss as she stroked him with her body.

She was positioning herself as he closed his eyes at her finally touching him. This was better then he imagined. He felt her heat above him. She was straddling him now. She positioned herself right above him. She guided him to her opening and it was his turn to throw his head back and give a soft moan. She was tight but wet, oh so wet. Once she had him inside her, she reached her hands down and lifted his head to make him look at her.

"This is my way to say I'm sorry." She said huskily. She kept her eyes locked on his as she moved on him. Her body went up and down in a slow steady rhythm.

They watched each other's faces as she set the pace. He could not take his eyes off her. His hands went to cup her breasts and she shuddered over him. Her body gave a small convulsion around him and his eyes rolled back to in his head. She picked up her speed then. He was close, so close. She rode him, taking him the way he had taken her.

He let one of his hands do down between her legs and he used the moisture there to rub her clit to make her come faster. Her body reacted in an instant. He felt her inner walls clench around him. He clenched his jaw to force his body to hold on. To last as long as she did.

"Oh shit, that' good. So good." She murmured. Her rhythm was faltering as she moved; she was losing her control and just moved herself up and down faster. He swirled his finger on her little nub of pleasure faster as well. He knew she was close. She was panting and small whimpers were escaping her lips as she worked over him.

"Arya, oh fuck Arya!" He yelled. He couldn't hold back any longer, but neither could she.

Arya shuddered above him. Her inner walls squeezing him. As she lost herself, he felt his body release as well. He felt as if she was taking his soul where their bodies were joined. She collapsed on top of his chest panting for breath. He was boneless laying on the floor but he wrapped his arms around her and cradled her to his chest.

They lay together, still joined for several minutes. He remembered how to breathe and how to think. He kissed her head where it lay over his heart. She giggled as she leaned up to look at him. Her eyes were pale grey not the deep grey he was used to seeing.

"That was the best argument and apology I have ever had the pleasure to be involved with." Arya said with a smile.

"It wasn't an argument. That was just two idiots finally agreeing on something." He shifted and he slid out of Arya. He watched as she shuddered by that action alone. He smiled. The movie was over and the credits rolled on the TV. Gendry crawled away from her to turn off the TV. He placed his head on the coffee table. His legs were to unsteady to stand yet. He glanced over at Arya. She was standing, more leaning on the stool beside her. He pulled himself to his legs and popped his back. He felt like he had just worked out. It was a good feeling. He turned to her and she smiled at him.

"That was not how I pictured my first time with you, but holy fuck that was amazing." Gendry chuckled at her.

"I imagined this, but you are much better then imaginary Gendry." Arya smiled at him.

He walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms. She giggled as he walked her to the bathroom.

"What are we doing here?" She demanded.

"We need a shower." Gendry said. He set her down on the tile floor and turned the hot water on. He heat the shower curtain opened for her to enter first. She yelped at the temperature of the water.

"Did you want to boil my flesh off?" She demanded when she found the temperature she liked.

"It's how I shower." He shrugged stepping inside. He reached around her, took his body scrubber, and squirted his body wash on it until he had enough suds to wash them both.

He turned her around and washed over her back. Her apple tattoo was melting off her back as she scrubbed his body. He washed every inch of her backside. From her shoulders to her feet. Then he turned her around and washed her front. This time he worked slowly. At her belly button she was giggling. He washed her completely.

"Rinse." He demanded. She stepped under the jets from the shower and rinsed. He handed her the scrubber and she washed him. He sucked in his breath when she got to his back and buttock. He suspected he had rug burns.

"It looks like I won't get to be on top for a while." She said sadly, as she washed him.

"It was worth it." He said softly. She turned him around and washed him efficiently. She studded up his body but didn't linger anywhere for long. He rinsed and winced as he cleaned his back. He reached out to the shelf above the toilet where clean towels were. He took one, wrapped it around his body, and held his hand out for Arya. She looked at it but took it after an inner argument.

"Allow me to dry you off milady." He started working before she answered but he thought she heard her say she wasn't a lady. He laughed as he ran the cloth over her body. "Don't think of drying me off. I like the chill." He told her.

He picked her up yet again. He liked the way she felt in his arms. That is what she told her when she demanded he put her down. He walked them to his bedroom, placed her in the center of the bed, and slid in next to her. He threw his towel on the floor and did the same with Arya's.

"Are we going to have more hot animal sex again?" Arya asked, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him.

"We already fucked. Maybe this time we make love?" He asked shyly.

Arya was still beside him. He cursed at himself for calling it that. She was probably not into soft sex. Gendry liked it hot and dirty as much as anybody, but sometimes he wanted to take it slow and savor things.

"Or we can call it a night." Gendry said in a rush. "It's late so you can sleep here if you want."

"I want you." Arya said. She smiled at him and ran her hand in his hair. She pulled him close and kissed him softly.

He responded in kind. Gently kissing her back. He took his time just to kiss her lips. Then he licked her bottom lip asking for entrance. She complied and opened for him. Their mouths, which had attacked one another before now were slow and searching. He knew her mouth now and he relished in that fact. The thought got him worked up. He started to stiffen and all he was doing was kissing her.

He moved his lips from her mouth to trace her jaw and let the line of it lead him to her neck. He played his teeth and tongue along the vein in her neck. He continued to take his time. His hands explored while his mouth tasted. He claimed her breast and his hand found the warm center between her legs. He worked her so she would be ready to take him. He was already hard and thick with his need.

Arya was making small moans under his touch. He moved so he was on top of her. The tip of his cock brushed along her slit and she quivered. He pushed into her slow and she arched to help him along. He shifted his hips in and out of her and she met him with every movement. They kissed as they rolled their bodies together and apart. His hand was cradling her cheek and her hand was on his ass.

They were slow; they were gentle as they came together. Before in the living room they had been angry and worked up, now there was nothing rushed in their joining. He felt a tingle in the base of his spine and he balled his free hand into a fist in the blankets.

"I'm close." Arya panted, her teeth going to nibble on his ear lobe.

"So am I." He said with a strangled voice.

He thrust deeper into her then. He had not penetrated her this fully when she had been on top of her and he had held back before. He pumped harder and faster into her, filling her completely. He felt the end of him reach the end of her and she yelled. Her walls clenched around him as she came. She milked him as he came growling, spilling himself inside her once again.

He collapsed once more, spent. He never wanted to leave her. He wanted to stay buried deep inside her for the rest of his days. It was her turn to lightly trace patterns on his back. He rolled them so they were together on their sides. She wrapped one of her legs over his hip and held him inside her. The kissed her neck softly and she kissed the underside of his throat.

"God girl. You are trying to kill me." He laughed.

"I think it's the other way around." She gave a tired laugh.

"It's time for bed Princess." He pulled the covers over them.

"I have class in the morning." She yawned.

"So do I." He said. "My alarm will wake us up in four hours at five thirty."

"My class isn't until ten. Let's sleep in." She mumbled.

"I have work." He told her. "No more talking. Time to sleep." He kissed her one more time and smiled. He fell asleep worn out and content. That night he didn't dream of Arya because he had her in his arms.


	3. In The Air Tonignt

_Get out of bed you lazy ass! Get out of bed you lazy ass!_

"What the duck is that noise!" Arya said burring her head under a pillow.

Gendry finally opened his eyes and looked over to his bedside table. His phone was going off with the alarm ring Lommy had once recorded for him. He tried to grab his phone but his arm was asleep from having Arya sleep on it for the last few hours. He finally got ahold of it and turned it off. 5:20 in the morning. Fuck, he was tired.

"I wish I didn't have to go to work this morning." He said as he spooned her body.

He inhaled her sent and he grew hard. He kissed the back of her neck and hoped she was awake enough to give him a quickie. She did not response to his nuzzling. He lifted his head off the pillows and looked at her face. She was asleep again. He smiled and slid out of bed. Gendry just looked down at the naked woman in his bed and smiled. He covered her with the blankets and she grabbed a handful and pulled it under her chin.

Gendry dressed for his second job. He worked three days a week at a gym as a personal trainer. This morning he wouldn't have class until eleven thirty. He would get to work at six, make people sweat their asses off and be gone by eleven. Then two classes, study time in the library and home to write his thesis. Somewhere in there, he would eat, but he never got meals, just quick bites to eat.

He took out a pair of workout shorts that reached his knee, lime green, a black tee that was a size to tight that had the name of the gym in green and ankle socks to go on under his running shoes. This was his uniform. Hollow Hills Gym liked green. He was just glad he wasn't a chick. They had to wear booties shorts and sports bras for their uniforms.

He went to the bathroom and took another shower. Gendry had a thing about showers. Growing up in the boy's home, they got one a month if they were lucky. Now he takes three or four a day to make up for all the misses showers as a kid. His friends made fun of him for that, except Hot Pie and Lommy, they had been there so understood. After he was clean, he dressed. Je padded out of his bathroom to his kitchen. He froze at the mess of it. Another trait he picked up from his childhood was having a clean house.

Clothes were strewn all over the living room. Things demo his counter were on his kitchen floor. He usually made coffee and drank it by 5:45 to be at the gym at six. He looked at his watch it was 5:37. He had enough time to get most of the clothes, pick his things from the kitchen floor up and go. He turned on his coffee pot and started cleaning. The floor was easy; it was just papers and books. He piled them back up. He speed into the living room, scooped up the clothes, and put them in the hamper in the bathroom. His coffee pot dinged and it had been five minutes. He walked to his coffee machine, took his go cup and poured his morning coffee in. He took a deep breath loving the smell of coffee. It was one thing he could not live without.

He grabbed a stray page from his papers and wrote down a quick note to Arya.

 _Morning Milady_

 _I'm off at work right now but there is coffee and food. Take what you want._

 _Our clothes got a little destroyed so take something of mine of you want to._

 _I get done with classes at five tonight but I'll be at the law library till seven._

 _I'll talk to you later._

 _Gendry_

He had a moment to look at his note. He wondered if he should have asked her out to dinner. He decided against it. She probably already had plans. He left the note with her phone on his bedside table. He switched his alarm clock on so it would go off at 8:45 and went down to his car. He was glad today was not one of the days Lem went to his place for his bag. He would have to answer so many questions. He was down in his car with two minutes to spare. He turned the key ever and his "wife" purred to life. He gave a half laugh as he drove out of the garage that his car and Arya made the same sound when turned on.

He pulled into the parking lot and pulled his zip up sweater on. His backpack slung over his shoulder and coffee in hand he walked into work. He was glad he was early. If he had waited another ten minutes he would have been stuck in traffic. He walked into work with a spring to his step and a smile on his lips.

"Well Waters you look chipper this morning." The woman behind the counter said as he walked over to her.

"I had a great night last night Brienne. Nothing more." He said with a laugh.

"Great huh?" She walked around the desk and looked at him right in the eyes.

She was the only woman who could look him in the eyes. They had been working together for two years, ever since he walked into the gym to join. Brienne was once a famous body builder who got a lot of money from her winnings and opened her gym. She used to call it Sapphire Sweat but people thought it was a club. When Gendry joined the staff he had suggested Hallows Hills because it had once been a place where warriors had gone to in myths to unwind and regroup. She had liked the name and changed it. From then on he was her right hand man.

"I heard you ditched your shift at the Forge last night in a bad mood." She said with her blue eyes flashing a warning. "If you pull that shot with me I'll throw you on your ass. I don't care if you are the best trainer I have. Do you understand me?"

She was using her impressive height to look down at him, which made her stand on her toes. Gendry just smiled, then laughed and slide his arm around her shoulder to walk back behind the desk. He was in such a good mood that he wanted to dance her around the lobby. He didn't because she would probably punch him in the face, but he still wanted to.

"I got it boss. I was in a bad mood, but I got some kinks worked out last night." He put his bag in his cubby behind the desk and drank the rest of his coffee.

"You better make sure you stay that way." Her tone was menacing but her face lost its harshness and she just looked St him like a fried. "I know how bad things got last year for you. With everything. I just don't want to see you fall down the rabbit hole again."

"Don't worry I won't do that shit again." He smiled as he took off his hoodie.

"There are more then one rabbit hole to fall down." She told him. She walked away to turn the open neon light on. It was time to start his day. It was just the two of them in the gym so early; the other members of staff didn't come in until eight. Gendry was a morning person so he was with her as often to open as he could.

His first person of the day walked in and smiled at him. Jeyne Poole was a woman who never got tired of hitting on him in her sessions despite his blunt manner of treating her. He had once point blank told her he would never date her, she still didn't get the hint.

"There is the King of Sweat, Lord of the Muscles." She greeted him as she walked in. She tried to kiss his cheek but he dodged and walked them to the exercise balls for her workout. They worked for an hour. She was red faced and sweating all over.

"You did well today. Another three, weeks and if you continue this way you will reach your goal. Now off to your yoga class with Shrieen." Gendry told her.

"I had hoped you could stretch me out today. I bet you do it real good." She stepped up into his personal space. He refused to back away so he glared at her until she went off and worked with the yoga class.

Shrieen was new to the staff. She was 18 and going to school to be a nutritionist and life coach. She was very good at yoga and had a way of making people relax. He had often wandered into her classes and watched how she worked. She was still on what Brienne called her probation period but so far she fit in nicely with theorist of them. Other them what the obvious the rest of them knew little about her. Shrieen Storm had turned up out of thimble and asked for a job. Brienne was tough on the outside but had a tender heart so she hired the young girl to see if she was as good as she said she was. They had not been disappointed.

Gendry went and drank a few sips, of water behind the desk. It was seven fifteen and he didn't have another client for fifteen minutes. He pulled out his phone and opened one of his reference books to, read while he waited. The door gave the imbuing buzz sound when someone entered and two people walked in Gendry had never seen before. The girl had on a bubblegum pink colored workout suit. She was smiling and laughing with the man beside her. He was a tall thin man in his thirties. His hair was pulled tight against his head in a small knot at the base of his skull.

"Hi." The girl said in a bubbly voice. "I was wondering if you had any openings? I'm looking for a trainer."

"We have four available trainers at the moment. When would you like to train?" He was typing on the computer and pulling up schedules of the other trainers.

"Early in the morning. I'm a morning person." She bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. She smiled at the man beside her.

"We will see what we can do for you miss." Gendry handed her a clip bowed with the membership application on it. "This is just a standard form. Usual info, name, date of birth and if you can pay the membership. That sort of thing."

"I'll just go and sit down to fill this out." She bounced over to a chair in the lobby.

Gendry stood there looking at the man, waiting for him to say something about what he wanted from the gym. The awkward silence stretched on to the point where Gendry wanted to break, but he wouldn't. He just gave the man his unblinking stare. Finally, the man laughed and smiled at him.

"I see you do not break uncomfortable silences like most people." The man said. His voice was soft but strong. It was a good voice, rich even. Instead of making Gendry like him, he was even more on guard.

"I'm not like most people." He answered curtly.

"So it appears. I will remember that." He stuck his hand out for Gendry to shake. "My name is Jaqen. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Gendry took the offered hand. It was cold and dry. The other mean's hand was strong and he felt the other man was holding back. Gendry only offered what the other man had. He did not squeeze it to hard or shake it more then twice. He felt uneasy after they no longer had joined hands and for some reason he wanted to wipe his hand off on his shirt.

"Do you want to sign up for a membership as well?" Gendry asked.

"Oh no. Your little gym doesn't offer physical activities I require." Jaqen said dryly.

Gendry bristled at that. His gym offered everything. He and Brienne had seen to that. They had classes ranging from yoga to boxing. They had a number of martial arts classes. From staff fighting to wrestling. They had everything. The nerve of the Gendry's dislike for Jaqen double.

"If you don't mind me asking why are you here?" He tried to keep the anger out of his voice and from the chuckle that rolled out of the lips he knew he had failed.

"I'm here to make sure my lovely girl over there received the proper attention." Jaqen nodded his head to the bubble you g woman. "She is very special to me. I'm invested in her wellbeing. She is one of my stars you see. I'm a talent director."

"I see. So you are an agent?" Ge dry asked. He had met many managers over the years and he slightly relaxed. Slime balls were par for the course for budding starlets.

"I'm more then an agent. I'm the whole world to my stars. The writer, director, the father, brother, lover, protector. I am everything they need. With me they need no one else." There was an undertone to the words Jaqen said and it put Gendry on edge once again.

His mind flashed to Arya. He remembered her professor had told her to become a stripper. Was the man leaning against his counter the professor Arya had referred to? He hoped not. Gendry looked at him closer. His hair was both blond and red, a strange combination for a guy but it was his hair. You really couldn't tell the color with it scraped back like that. He was wearing a suit of white with a cream-colored turtleneck under it. He vaguely looked like Jonny Depp from the movie Blow. Not bad looking, but Gendry didn't like him one bit.

"I think I filled out all the required information." Bubble girl chirped, breaking the tension.

"Perfect." Gendry took the clipboard and looked over the info. Name: Dany Tag. DOB 3/27/92. Payment Provided By: Faceless Entertainments. So that answered one of his questions. "It looks like everything is in order Ms. Born. I can get you in this Thursday at six fifteen with either Brienne or myself for your measurement and consultation appointment. After that we can match a trainer to your skill set and need."

He wrote it all down on a reminder card and handed it back to her. Dany smiled and took the card. She slipped it in her cleavage of her top.

"Perfect. See you in two days Gendry. It was a pleasure meeting you." She shook his hand and it was a very good handshake from a girl.

"Ms. Born, Mr. Jaqen, nice meeting you." He gave them a very polite smile.

"Nice to meet you too Gendry. Pleasure to meet you as well." Jaqen slipped sunglasses over his eyes and slid his arm around Dany's waist. They walked out of the gym without looking back.

Gendry let go of the breath he had been holding. Je hated the guy instantly. Gendry had met Arya's professor and boss and felt sickness rise in his gut. He was so focused on baring holes in the back cream colored suit he didn't hear his boss walk up to the counter.

"Were those two potential clients? And if so please tell me you didn't have that look on hour face when you were helping them." Brienne said.

"The girl was. And what face?" He snapped shoving the paperwork at her.

"Watch it Waters. You look like you want to punch someone. So what happened?" She demanded.

"That pompous douchbag bitch just rubs me the wrong way. I don't like him." He said looking at her. His face muscles relaxed when he finally said aloud what he had been thinking.

"He isn't the client so what's the big deal? He's the sugar daddy. We've had them come in with their pretty things before." Brienne said.

"I just don't like him okay." He walked away to greet his next client. He was glad it was Hot Pie. The guy was trying to lose weight for his wedding. He was dedicated. Four days before the big day and he was still coming in to sweat his ass off.

"Gendry my god. Tell me again why I agreed to come in St this god for sake. Hour homework out with you?" Hot Pie yawned. He had a basket of muffins on his arm and a very large to go coffee in his hand. "Will made you muffins. I don't think you should get them." He plopped them on the desk.

"What are these for?" Gendry asked. They were chocolate zucchini muffins. He loved them and she knew it. He took one and it was still warm. He bit into it and he sighed. All the anger washed out of him in that bite.

"I told her you left work last night in a state." Hot Pie looked embarrassed.

"Well everything is better now. I'm taking one." Brienne said as she took the muffin.

"Better how?" Hot Pie asked. He looked suspiciously at Gendry.

"Oh I'd say our boy got some last night. He was practically whistling when he came in." Brienne said with a smile.

"Got some? Well that is not what I would have guessed." Hot Pie looked impressed. "It's been what half a year since you had any?"

"That long!" Brienne choked.

"Yep. He had a thing with Will's sister when we started daring. Lasted for six months." Hot Pie said. "Our boys been in a dry spell since they split."

"That's enough sharing children. Hot Pie you need to sweat." He clasped his hand on Hot Pie's shoulder and gripped it tight. "And those muffins better all still be in the basket when I get back. I don't care of you are the boss I will kick your ass." He said to Brienne as they walked to the treadmill. Ge dry set an easy pace to warm his friend up.

"So who was she? A girl from the bar? Lem said that they had been enjoying the company of some princesses. And that one left soon after you did. Was it one of them?" Hot Pie asked.

"If you can talk you aren't going fast enough. No more talking, more sweat!" Gendry pushed the speed of the treadmill faster. Hot Pie's eyes popped out and he sped up.

They worked for the next two hours. Hot Pie was drenched with perspiration and Gendry was relieved that they had been unable to talk. This was his last client of the day. He was so ready to throw himself into things he knew. Law was his comfort. Everything was already established and he didn't have to worry about feelings.

He got to his class with five minutes to spare before the lecture. He sat in his spot and was ready to have Mormont go over different ways a defense lawyer could use to win their cases. This was a great class. They were going to be starting another round of mock trial.

"I have enlisted the aid of our schools theater department. Each of you will be given a 'client' who has either committed a crime or is the victim of one." Mormont said from the podium. "Now for extra incentive to win your case those of you who have applied to be interns with my form will be selected from the winners. At the end of lecture today you will receive your packet of information pertaining to your cases to begin working on building your case."

The lecture went on for the next three hours. Gendry took notes and recorded some of it on his phone to review the video later. When the lecture ended, he collected his packet. Mormont placed his hand on Gendry's shoulder and smiled warmly at him.

"I didn't see your application in my box." Mormont said to him.

"I don't know if I will be able to get everything I need done before graduation completed if I take on the internship." He replied honestly.

"You can complete your course load, your thesis, work two jobs, have a social life and have the internship as well. Gendry my boy you can have it all. Now I have taken the liberty to put your name on the list despite the fact you filled out the application. I look forward to see how you defend your client in the next two weeks."

Ge dry stood opened mouthed as the professor walked out of the lecture hall. He shook himself and walked in a slight daze to the quad for his fifteen minutes between lectures. He sat down on a bench in the winter sun, took another of Will's muffins out of his bag, and started to eat. He desperately wanted to text Arya but held back. He had taken his phone out and looked at her name in his contacts. He decided not to text her. She had been too much in his day already. The sex might have been mind blowing but she was too deep in his life already. He wanted to do it right with the girl, date her, and get to know her. Not just pound naked bodies together.

He shoved his phone into his pocket and headed to his next class. He was shocked that Lem wasn't around. He was usually his companion in all their classes. A few times a month Lem would skip classes because he was to hung over to go to class so he figured that was the case. His next class was a course on criminal law. Gendry still wasn't sure if he wanted to work for the state or a private firm. So he took as many different classes he could to help educate himself on the different pros and cons for both sides. This one was thought by a professor named Luwin. It was an interesting class but today he wasn't in it.

The bomb of being a contender for one of the most sought after internships was daunting and his thesis was a little much. He turned his recorder on to tape the lecture of jury selection on how to find a sympathetic jury. He opened his file for the mock triple in Mormont class and flipped the pages over reading.

His client was called Dinah. He was to defend her on a murder charge. There were images of the supposed victim's dead body in the file. Dinah had apparently stabbed the victim, a man names Troy, sixteen times. He read the physical stats on the client and the victim as well as some background information on both parties.

Dinah was a small woman at five foot four and 118 pounds. The BMI showed she was underweight. He then looked at the stats for the victim. Troy was five foot eleven and one hundred and seventy three pounds. He was a large man and she was a small woman. He found it odd that the girl could subdue a man of that size to stab him sixteen times. There was no mention of restraints, no drugs in the victims system. The only thing that the opposition had was an eye whiteness account of his client leaving the victims house on the night of the murder.

The class ended and he walked to his car. The file of his case were in his pack and he put it out lf his mind. He was going homework on his thesis in the law library for a few hours. He was going to go home by eight. There was a new show he wanted to watch on TV that night. He walked out to his car and sitting on the hood of his beloved automobile was a woman in deep red corset with a see through lace top. The skirt was a gold color and again see through. Dark black hair cascaded down her back and a red rose was tucked behind her ear.

"Think of me, think of me fondly when we say goodbye. Remember me once in a while. Please promise me you'll try." A sweet voice was singing as he walked swords the figure on his car.

He had never heard a sweeter voice before. He thought he recognized the song but he wasn't sure. Then he realized who was singing and where the song came from. It was a song from The Phantom of the Opera. He knew only one person in the schools production. It was Arya sitting on his car.

"Arya please get off my wife." Gendry said and he put a theatric growl in his voice.

"You have a wife?" Arya demanded turning to him with a mock shocked look on her face.

"My car, she's my wife." He walked over to her and she slid off the car.

"So you are one of those guys." She laughed and her face got serious. "You haven't said a word about my costume for the show."

"Aren't you cold?" He asked. It was the first thing to pop into his head looking at her.

"That's it? Not 'You look nice Arya.' You go with aren't you cold?" She demanded.

"I'm not cold." She shrugged.

Gendry could not believe that. He was cold. He pushed the thought out of his mi d. Even now he wanted her, but he had to much stuff on his mind. He wanted to get to the law library a d just work until his mind went numb then watch some damned TV. He didn't need this for this girl and her secrets to get him off his course.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you Arya but I have to get to the law library and work." He went to his door and opened it. He threw his bag in the passenger seat. He was still shaken from meeting her boss earlier. If he was telling the truth he was a little passed about that.

"Oh I understand. You got what you wanted from me and now that's it." She said sharply from behind him.

"Fuck Arya that's not the case." Je slammed the door and turned to look at her. "I just have a lot of pressure on me right now. I'm in my final year at law school. I'm trying to graduate with Honors. Which means I need to get my thesis in. I have a full course load to deal with as well. I have to prep co a mock trial. And today I was told I'm in the running for a very competitive internship at a very prestigious firm that is run by two of my professors. I'm working two jobs. I am the best man for my best friend who is getting married on Saturday. I like you Arya. I really do but I just need to study until eight tonight." He said in a semi-crazed tone of voice.

Arya looked at him as if he was a crazy person. He felt like a crazy person. After he said it all out loud, he felt overwhelmed. He just kept looking at her. She walked over to him and there was a strange smile on her face.

"Well then." She stepped up to him. She took his hand in his. "What are you doing at eight tonight?"

"I'm going to watch the new show on FX. The Bastard Executioner. Looks good." He shrugged.

"Mind if I come by? I have an appointment at ten but we can watch the show. I can even make dinner if you want." She shuffled her feet.

"You cook?" He asked. He liked most of what she had said.

"A few things. I can pick the things I need up and make all up before younger back to your place if you want." She smirked at him.

"I might agree to that. But I have a condition." He held a finger up.

"What is that?" She stepped closer to him. She was so close she could see the darkened skin of her nipples through her top.

"You have to help me write my toast for Hot Pie." He said. She laughed and again it was musical.

"That's your one stipulation?" She demanded.

"Yep. I'm a simple man." He smiled as he tilted his head down and kissed her.

She melted against him. When his lips touched his, all his anger went away. She was intoxicating. His hand to pull her closer to him. She slid her tongue into his mouth and stroked his. He knew he had to stop. He had things to do. She balled her hands in his hair and molded her already close body to his. Her nipples pressed into his chest. He felt himself rise at the touch of her body on his. Even with the trotting separating them he felt her need for him.

Their lips separated as they gasped for breath. He felt her chuckle deep in her chest. He put his forehead on hers and they smiled at one another. Looking on her laughing eyes all the questions he wanted answered from her came roaring to the surface of his mind.

"I have another stipulation." He whispered to her.

"Another one? I thought younger a simple man." She kissed his jaw.

"This is a simple request. I want some answers from you Arya." He said nuzzling her neck.

She froze in his arms. She looked at him and looked scared. She shook her head.

"Gendry I don't know if I can." Her voice was soft, uncertain.

"Look you won't have to answer anything you don't want to. But I'm going to ask. If this means you don't want to see me tonight I'll understand. It's up to you." He stroked her cheek. "I really do have to go now Arya." He kissed her one last time on the lips.

He put all the longing and need into the kiss. She returned it and he felt fear and sorrow pour out of her.

"I'll see you." She said. She turned and walked away. He watched her go.

He slid into his car and drove to the law library. He pushed everything out of his mind and flashed his student ID at the librarian. He walked to his favorite dust in the stacks. It was in the center of all the books he needed for his research. He took his laptop out of his bag and booted up the machine. He sighed contentedly as he opened his files.

He worked with no thought in his head except for his thesis. He was imputing imperial evidence on the last trial that used combat. It had been ninety years ago. The defendant who demanded the trial by combat had been accused of stealing money from Array Imports. He had professed innocence. He knew that if he used a trial by his peers he would lose. The Arryn's would have bought the jury. The defendant had chosen a sword man to defend him. The prosecution had used a man equally matched man to fight the battle. The two chosen men met for battle on the dawn of the appointed day. The judge sat in his throne like chair and called toe combat to order.

By all accounts it was an epic fight. It lasted an hour and a half. By the end the prosecutions man was struck down. The defendant was proven innocent. He walked away free and clear. It later became apparent that the man had stolen the money. By the time it was proven with a doubt that the defendant was a thief he was safe in the Free Cities. There wasn't a extrication pact with their neighboring country. The man could not be charged again for a crime he was already judges for as innocent. Double jeopardy was in play. The justice system had taken a beating on that one in more ways then one.

Once he had shown the evidence and told the story it was seven thirty. He stretched his back and saved his work for a final time. Then he backed it all up on his external hard drive as well as a flash drive then emailed his finished section to himself. When it came to his thesis he was more then cautious, he was paranoid.

He left the law library and drove home in darkness and snow. He wished for summer and sun, but he was now used to the snow send the cold. He had been living with it in wintertime for his whole life. Gendry pulled into his parking space and walked to his apartment. It ears empty. He left the door unlocked and climbed in the shower. He hoped that Arya would be there when he got out. He was disappointed to see she was not there.

He changed into shorts and a hoodie. It was a custom hoodie. Lommy had designed the art on the front. A waving flag was blank with the words Brotherhood Without Banners. It was what he called their group. Everyone in their mismatched family got a hoodie. It was a reminder of his friend.

He sat down on his couch and turned on his TV in time to get the start of the show. It was good, kept his interest. He took out his phone and looked at it. There was a message from Arya on it.

 _Work called. Had to go in. Rain check. Don't know when we'll get together again, but I hope it's soon. Xoxo_

Gendry felt both sick and pissed. He wanted to throw his phone against the wall. As soon as he and Arya had made plans to meet up she had to go to work. Just when he was going to get his questions answered she didn't show. He walked to his kitchen and grabbed a bottle from his freezer. It was a rich amber color. He took ice out and it clinked in his glass he had grabbed. He poured the whiskey into the glass and drank it in one gulp.

It burned and did nothing but fuel the burn in his gut. He poured another drink. He walked out into his living room, took his phone, and typed out his reply. He kept his reply short and tried not to let his anger show.

 _No problem. Rain check would be good. Busy this week, next week maybe. Text me later._

He drank down his whiskey. He wanted to go out and track her down. He wanted to find the man who was twisting the girl he was growing to know into something he knew she didn't want to be. But what did he know about her? He took out his phone and hit number three on his speed dial. He either wanted a fight or a fix. He had come to far to fall down the well again.

"You better be calling for a good reason Bull. I lost a pretty hot piece of ass last night." Edric said on his end of the phone.

"That hot piece of ass you're talking about? The one from the bar? She mind fucked me." Gendry threw his glass to shatter against the wall.

"What the fuck was that?" Edric demanded.

"Look man, I'm either going to score or go and fight with someone. You have to meet me." Gendry growled.

"Shia. I'll be there as soon as I can. You at home?" Edric asked.

"I'm home. But I don't know for how long." Gendry was shaking now. His hard fought control was slipping away. He had not lost control like this since Lommy died.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Don't do anything stupid." Edric yelled at him.

The phone call ended and Gendry walked back to his kitchen. He got a second glass out of his cabinet and poured. He drank it down. He was warm now. It tangled. Drinking was not the same as the smoking a small amount of the mind numbing substance into his lungs, into his body.

His life had been hard. He had learned to get past it all. He fought his way to where he is. He had given himself over to the demon that drove himself to be better, do better, be the best. He poured another drink and he sipped it this time. He let everything in his life fall down on him in that moment.

He remembered his mother then. He was five and he remembered his mother working her fingers to the bone in a shity bar called the Seven. It wasn't a bar so much as a brothel. He had found out the truth that his mom had been a pro. He knew that is how he was made. A faceless customer had gotten his mom pregnant. After she found out she was pregnant she stopped working in that capacity and started to tend bar and wash dishes. Right before his fifth birthday she had found out she had cancer. She died slow and painfully.

Then he was sent to the home. But when things had been hardest, when he wished to end it all he remembered what she used to tell him.

"You my son are strong. You have the strength of a war hammer. You have the will to do anything you want." She would place her ha ds on either side of his face a d look him in the eyes. "You area knight in a world where such men are laughed at. Always remember that you can do anything younger your mind to." She would kiss his brow and cuddle him to her. He held on to her words and her memory when things got bad. He tried to now.

Edric walked into the apartment. His eyes were scared for Gendry. He had been one of the people who had kept him inside while he came down. He took one look at Ge dry and bolted the door with the locks then used the internal locks the Brotherhood had installed when Gendry went crazy. He slipped the key into his jeans and walked over to Ge dry with concern on his face.

"So you going to tell me what is wrong or will we go fifty rounds bare knuckles until you are ready to talk?" Edric said as he took off his leather jacket and hung it up.

"I'll talk. But take the booze from me. I don't want to best you to a pulp." Ge dry held out the whisky bottle. Edric took it with a smile.

"You'd try." Edric took a swig from the bottle. "Now tell papa what is wrong."

Gendry sat down and told him the story of Arya. Everything he knew, all his feelings for her, who she worked for. By the time he was done Edric had finished the bottle of whiskey. He was smiling over at Gendry.

"So the high and mighty Gendry Waters fell for a stripper. That is to great." Edric said. "And with all the shit you have on your plate. This is just to classic."

"You are supposed to talk me down. Not piss me off." Gendry growled.

Edric stood and stretched. He slid off his tee and threw it on the couch. He smiled at Gendry knowingly.

"If you wanted someone to take you down you would have called Pie. You chose me. Ten rounds. Three minutes each. Once you get it out of your system things will be better." He cracked his knuckles and started to move the coffee table out of the way and the chairs too.

"You sure about this?" Gendry took his hoodie off and stretched as well.

"Yeah, let's do this." Edric stood facing Gendry. They had done this for each other many times over the years. Edric was the only man he knew who would fight with him when he needed to. Gendry did the same thing for Edric. It was their strange idea of support group. It was like Fight Club, but their friends knew about it and talked about it. They often joked that they broke the first rule of fight club.

"I'm sending a text to Tom. He is five minutes away. Should be here soon." Edric said as he walked to the door and unlocked it.

"I thought rounds would be three minutes?" Gendry said.

"They will be. " Edric smiled at him. "The first one is going to be longer. I'm mad you nailed the stripper when I had her in the bag last night." Edric was texting as he spoke. Gendry clenched his hands into fists. He wanted to hit Edric now. He held back.

Rules were they didn't start until another Brother was there to break them up. Tonight was going to be different. Edric saw Gendry's need to beat on someone so he was breaking their rules.

"We start when we get his reply?" Gendry asked.

"Yep. I know you need this mate. I'll take one for the team. But you owe me. We go to a strip club after." Edric smirked at him.

"You really think a strip club would be a good idea?" Gendry asked. He paced around the room waiting for the reply.

"It will be after you beat the shit out of me. Tits and booze mate. They make it all better." Edric's phone chirped. "Tom is on his way."

"Good. Let's start this then." Gendry wasted no time and lashed out with a fist to Edric's gut.

"Fuck man. That was a low…" Edric was hit again in the gut. He collapsed on the floor but swept his leg out from under his friend.

Gendry fell to the floor with a thud. He rolled on to his feet. He rook up a stance that he felt comfortable with. He waited for Edric to come in for a swing, but his friend held back. Edric circled him, fainting swings, causing Gendry to watch him. He wanted to fight, not play. He saw an opening and took a swing at Edric's head. His fist made a satisfying crunch on Edric's face.

"Good one Gendry." Edric panted. He ran straight at him then. He knocked Gendry over and they grappled on the floor together.

Edric was on top of Gendry, straddling on him. He wailed punches on his stomach. Gendry grub ted with each blow but he wanted this, needed this. It made him forget everything he was feeling. Gendry swung his leg over his friends head. They flipped over and both ended up locked in a position that neither had an advantage. They sat on the floor looking at each other. They could break free if they wanted to cause real harm on the other but they couldn't. It was in the rules. No broken bones.

The door burst opened and Tom and Lem were suddenly in the room. They both looked worried. Lem took one look at them and cursed under his breath.

"This is a match. Separate. Now!" Tom yelled.

The two deranged and stood. They looked St each other and then were on each other. They punched each other in the abdomen. They ended up hugging one another while they punched. It felt like an eternity, but Gendry still felt the fire burning.

"Separate." Tom barked.

They broke apart and Edric threw a punch at Gendry's chin. It was a solid hit and it flung Gendry back to land on the floor. He quickly picked himself up and charged at Edric. They tolled on the floor again. This time Lem shouted. They broke apart and crushed together again. They did this seven more times. Gendry had been hit and punched even slipped a few times by the end of the bout.

He was bruised and his lip was split and bleeding freely. He collapsed on the couch a d Tom shoved a bag of ice to his face. Edric was helped to the chair. He was bleeding from a cut over his eye and there was a bruise blooming over his cheek.

"Will you tell me what this one was about?" Tom demanded.

"No." Gendry said.

"Why not? You always have before." Lem said.

"This isn't for the group. This was personal." Edric said.

Gendry looked over at Edric and was grateful his friend wasn't going timeshare all he had revealed.

"Edric was helping me deal with stress." Gendry groaned and stood. He scooped up his hoodie and slid it on. "Now I said I'd take Edric to a strip club. Want to come?"

Lem and Tom just looked at each other then smiled.

"You know us. Offer a strip club and we won't say no." Tom said. They left Gendry's flat and they drove to a place called the House Of Black and White. Gendry had never been. He got out of Lem's car and the wintry wind bit his skin. He winced as he moved slowly to the door with his friends.

"This place is new. Been dying to come." Edric leaned against Lem's shoulder as they walked to the door.

"What's so great about this place?" Gendry lisped. His fat lip made it hard for him to speak clearly.

"They have this amazing headliner. Goes by the name Leia, like the chick from Star Wars. She is supposed to be magic on the pole. Doesn't get totally naked, but what she can do is worth a show." Edric said. They were at the door and waited for the door attendant to allow them to enter.

"Jesus." The big man said looking at Edric and Gendry's faces. "I hope the other guy looks worse then you do."

Edric looked at Gendry, Gendry blinked at Edric. Then he smiled at the bouncer.

"The other guy looks like a horse's ass."

"Fuck you pretty boy. At least I look rugged. You look like shit." Edric smiled and replied at Gendry's barb.

"You crazy fucks fought each other? That's messed up. Go on in. Enjoy the show." The bouncer opened the door and the four walked in to booming music.

Gendry followed the guys to a table across the side of one of the smaller stages but within sight if the main stage. One girl was there dancing to a rowdy coup try song. Her body was completely exposed except for an old western belt with fake guns in the holsters and a straw cowboy hat. Gendry didn't care about this girl. Hide froe ds watched her though. He flagged down a passing waitress. He ordered a drink, a greyhound.

"We don't have many orders of that here." She said with a laugh. "That's an old man drink."

"I like the classics." Gendry shrugged. The waitress was in mans suit jacket, short shorts and nothing else.

"You've come to the right place then." She smiled at him and went to fill his order.

"Give Calamity Jane a hand. Our six-shooter thanks you for your attention. Now turn to the small stage and get ready to see the girl from a Galaxy Far Far Away. Please put your hands together for Princess Leia." The announcer said over the sound system.

The other men in the club turned to the small stage that they were next to slow filled with soft lights. The percussion of drums slowly wound their way over the crowd and leather clad legs came into view. The pair of legs slowly lit to show the back of a woman. Her hair was done in a thick braid down her back. Her ass was covered in a metallic looking underwear. But there was give and movement t to it.

She swayed, her back still turned from the front. Gendry took his drink from his waitress and sipped. He recognized the song. It was haunting. It was a familiar song. It was forty seconds in when he realized what song it was. It was a Phil Collins Song. In The Air Tonight blasted out. 50 seconds from the start of the first notes the singers voice was head.

 _I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord  
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord  
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord_

Gendry was lost in the music. He wasn't really paying attention to the dancing girl. He looked up and she had turned around. Gendry stopped breathing. Despite the makeup, the costume, the differences in her appearance it was Arya. Her eyes were closed and she snaked her body now around the pole. Edric had been right she was magic.

 _Well if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand  
I've seen your face before my friend, but I don't know if you know who I am  
Well I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my two eyes  
So you can wipe off that grin, I've known where you've been  
Its all been a pack of lies_

She turned and faced the crowd. She moved her body seductively and ran her hands over her body. Gendry had a flash of her above him, her hands touching herself the same way.

 _And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord  
We'll I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord  
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord  
Well' I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord_

Her eyes finally fell on his face. Gendry saw her reaction flair in her eyes but she showed no other signs of having noticed him. He sat up straighter and she danced slowly closer. Her eyes were locked on his face. He wanted to go up to her, cover her and take her away. Yet he sat and watched her stalk to him.

 _Well I remember, I remember, don't worry, how could I ever forget  
It's the fist time, the last time we ever met  
But I know the reason why you kept your silence up, oh no you don't fool me  
Well the hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows  
Its no stranger to you and me_

She was now directly in front of him and she stood slightly in front of him, her legs apart. The drums trimmed in time with his heartbeat. She shook and swayed above him in tandem to the music. She was so close he smelled her sent. The memory of her taste burned his tongue. He wanted to reach out, she was just there but she wasn't. This woman wasn't Arya, she was just acting again.

 _I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord  
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord  
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord  
Well' I've been waiting for this moment for all my lifer, oh Lord  
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord  
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord  
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord  
We'll I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord _

Gendry felt the words hit him. He felt it in the air. All the men sitting around him, their hunger, their desire. He felt their need as they watched Arya dance. Hell his own desire flared to a roaring fire in his gut. The song was fading away, the lights were dimming. She still stood before him. There was a dare in her eyes that made Gendry want to mess with her as much as she was messing for him. He just sat back, took out a single dollar and held it out for her.

 _I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord, oh Lord  
We'll I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord , oh Lord _

Everything went dark and thunder erupted around them with the cheers and clapping of the horde of men around them. Soft lights floated up. Arya bowed. As she was bowing, she took the bill. Her fingers lingered on his hand for a moment. They locked eyes.

"Bathroom." He wasn't sure he had heard her right. He watched her bow again to the crowd. She walked off the stage without collecting the astonishing amount of cash that was littering the stage.

"Fuck. That was the most erotic thing I have ever seen. I'm not even mad that she didn't take off her clothes off." Lem said. Gendry just looked at him. How in the hell did he not recognize her? This was the third time Lem and Tom had seen Arya but they didn't show recognition.

Gendry stood from the table. He winced as he moved. He was more hurt then he thought. He stretched and finished his drink.

"I have to piss." He told the guys, they were already looking at the main stage and didn't even notice that he was leaving.

He made his way to the bathroom. He walked in and stood in the dark bathroom. It was a single room. Standing in the room was Arya. She was in a robe. Ge dry locked the door and he vibrated with fire. He didn't know if he wanted to shout at her or fuck her.

"What the hell are you doing here Gendry?" She demanded.

"What am I doing here? I came with my mates to watch a show." He sneered. He went with anger. "And I got one, didn't I?"

She stalked to him. Her hands were in fists. She raised it to strike him but she looked at him. She loosened her fist and looked at him. Her hand came up and touched his lip. Fresh blood came away on her fingertips. She looked at them and her eyes were unreadable.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

"First rule of Fight Club." He said with a shrug.

"You and your buddies beat each other up?" She asked, her eyes widening.

"Edric and I have a support system." He shrugged.

"I've done some fucked up things in my days but that takes the cake." She said. She wiped the blood off on his shirt. She kept her hand on his chest. "I know Jaqen saw you today."

Her statement was so soft he almost didn't hear it. He took her hand and pulled it to his lips. He wanted to do more then kiss her hand but he held back.

"Yeah, I saw him. What of it?" He looked down in her grey eyes. He was about to get an answer.

"Gendry I am sorry, but we can't see each other." She said softly.

"Why? Because your boss said so?" He growled.

"Yes." She said. "He owns me Gendry. I'm his brightest star. He won't let me go. I do what he says."

He pulled her to him, crushing her body to him. She tensed but relaxed against him. Her body began to shake. He realized she was crying. This was not what he had been expecting. He held her as he cried.

"I can get you free of him." He told her as he tilted her face to look in his eyes.

"No you can't. He owns me Gendry." She looked so small and powerless in front of him. He wanted to protect her with every fiber of his being.

"No one can own you." Gendry said. "I can take you away from all of this Arya." He bent down and touched her lips with his.

"Gendry I'm not about to let you go and throw away everything you've been working so hard for." She said against his lips. Her arms wound their way around his neck and she stood on tiptoes to press against him.

"If you won't run away with me what can I do?" He asked.

"Just be there for me if I need you." She said. She kissed him and backed him up against the door to the bathroom. She jumped up and he caught her ass in his hands. She was naked under his robe.

He braced his legs and hissed. He was bruised and hurting, but his lust over road his pain. Her hand snaked out and slid his shorts down his legs. He was hard, had been since the moment he saw her dancing. She took him in her hand and slid him to her opening. They locked mouths and he thrust into her.

They tried to move in their position, nut it was to difficult. He swung them around until her back ears the one pressing against the door. He thrust into her. He wanted to sink as deep as he could inside of her. He pumped his hips in a steady movement. She was kissing his neck, scraping her nails along his skull. She monde when he found a rhythm that rubbed her in all the right places.

"Oh yes. Yes, like that." Arya purred. He clenched his ass and thrust faster into her warmth.

"God you're so tight, so wet." He growled out.

"For you Gendry." She panted.

Hearing his make from her lips made him pound harder, trying to send them both over the edge. He moved one of his ha ds to her clot and stroked. She sucked in air and wintered. He felt the first tremor of her orgasm rack her body. She buried her face against his neck and bit down to muffle her cry. She clenched around him. He let go then. He sped up faster, he was close. She bit down on his flesh and her nails on his sided under his hoodie. He thrust on more time and he came. The only reason he didn't scream was because her mouth was suddenly locked on his. She drank down his pleasure and gave it back to him as she kissed him deeply. They broke apart panting, still joined. They looked into each other's eyes and he felt a smile pull at his lips.

"I will always be here if you need me Arya." He meant what he said.

"Even if we have to key it a secret? Even if I take my clothes, off for other men? Even if I have to stay under Jaqen's control?" She asked.

He slid out of her and set her feet down on the floor. He placed both of his bruised hands on either side of her face and looked deeply into her scared grey eyes. He was silent and he watched her face. He knew she had more to say so he waited to hear what she had to say.

"I like you Gendry. I've never done this before. I have only ever slept with two other people before you. One was my first time. My best friend growing up. His name was Mycah. He was good to me. He cared for me and helped me. He, well he died. The seconds was Jaqen. He found me right after I learned of Mycah. I thought he loved me, but he was using me." Her voice broke and she looked away. He felt rage flow into him, but he had to hide that from her. Then I met you. You were different from everyone else from the moment I first saw you. You didn't treat me like a stripper. I was a person. I haven't had that in so long. I didn't pretend with you. I like you Gendry."

"Arya." He breathed her name like it was a payer. "Arya. I like you too. Shit I like you more then I should. I don't care what you do, or any of that. I want you. I want you safe and happy. I want you to be mine." He pressed his lips to her upturned face.

"So we can be a secret?" Her voice was fragile.

"Gods curse me, but yes. You are a drug Arya. I don't think I will ever get enough of you." He kissed her again and she melded against him.

He knew he was crazy. He had enough on his plate. He needed to focus on school, his future. But the woman in his arms was something he couldn't walk away from. He vowed he would find a way to free her from whatever Jaqen had to hold her to him. He would be her comfort, the body she went to escape to. He would make her feel like a girl, not an object. He told her this all as they kissed again.

"I should get back to the guys. We've been here for a while." He said after they had finished kissing.

"Yeah. I need to get back as well." She walked to the sink and started to wipe her face with paper towels. She turned back to him and he smiled. Without make up and clear tears drying on her face she was the most breathtaking thing he had ever seen.

"Text me soon. I do have to work the rest of the week. Then I have Pie's wedding. If you want can be my date." He said as she cleaned her face.

"I have appointments set up. But can I cash in my rain check this Sunday? I owe you a dinner." She smiled at him.

"That would be amazing." He smiled back.

"It's a date." She said.

"A secret date." He retorted.

"With my secret boyfriend." She chuckled.

"So I'm your boyfriend? Does this mean you'll answer my questions?" He demanded. She sighed and looked at him shaking her head.

"You don't give up do you?" She asked.

"Nope. Not when my girlfriend is concerned." He smiled and walked over to her. He stopped right in front of her, waiting for her to close the distance. She closed it and hugged him.

"Okay. I'll answer anything you want. On Sunday." She looked up at him. Her grey eyes were clear and she was beautiful. He wanted to kiss her but if he did they would only end up against the door again.

"I'll leave first." He said. She looked sad but she nodded. He gave into his need and pressed his lips to hers softly. "I like you Arya."

She smiled under his lips and whispered to him.

"I like you too."  
He walked out of the bathroom and headed back to his friends. Tom and Lem were enjoying lap dances from beautiful girls. Edric was chatting with the waitress that had served him earlier. All three of his friends looked like they were enjoying themselves. Gendry was happy; his encounter in the bathroom lightened his step. He was troubled still though. He sat down at his table and Edric turned to him.

"There you are Bull. What happened? Pissed freaked out?" Edric smiled.

"Something like that." He answered.

"Another greyhound Classic?" The girl asked.

"Yes."

"Coming right up." She purred. She sashayed away from their table.

"If you wouldn't have come up when you did I would have gotten her to go home with me." Edric grumbled. "This is the second time you have stolen a girl from me."

"You can have her." Gendry huffed.

"Still hung up on the girl from the party?" Edric asked.

"No." Gendry said. "You helped me get over that. You won't say anything right?"

"Yeah." Edric said. "Your secret is safe."

"Thanks man." Gendry said.

"No problem. If you help me get the waitress to go home with me then we will be even." Edric said as he watched the girl walk over to them.

"Deal." Gendry said. He turned to the waitress when she placed the glass on the table.

"Anything else?" She asked. She looked him up and down. Je saw her desire. He used it to help his friend.

"Yeah. My friend here wants something sweet to drink. I'm a bartender at the Forge, but I don't know what to suggest." He put heat behind his question. "I know you will have our answers."

The waitress looked over to Edric. He was trying to seem innocent. He played innocent good. He was the type of man any girl would want to take home and love. What they didn't know was that he was wicked. He wasn't a bad guy, the opposite in fact. He was a guy many women fell in love with and he loved them each in his own way. It might just be for one night, but he loved them.

"You have a sweet tooth?" She asked.

"I do." Edric replied. He let his sex appeal leave him in those two words. "Do you have anything to help my craving?"

She cocked his head to the right and looked thoughtful. She bit her lip and Gendry looked at his friend. Edric was watching her face with a smile.

"Well for right now I can bring you an appletini. It is sweet, but with an undertone of sour under it all. Does that sound good?" She stepped one-step closer.

"Yes. For now." Edric rolled his eyes up and down her body. "And what happens when I'm done with my drink?"

She smiled brightly and her eyes shone with heat. She now kept her eyes locked on Edric, Gendry was forgotten. Ge dry was glad. With his innocent question, he had gained his friends silence.

"Well I am not supposed to do this, our boss forbids it." She whispered. Gendry perked up strained his ears to pick up her words over the music. "My phone number is on the napkin under your friends drink. Call me in three hours. But after you finish the drink, you must leave. The boss doesn't like men who stay to long."

She straightened and looked around to make sure no one had over bread them.

"Got it." Edric smiled.

"My name is Tyene. I go by Viper in the club, but my name is Tyene. What's yours?" She was really interested in Edric.

"Edric. I'll call. And forget the drink. Gendry pay off our tab. Let's go guys." Edric said to Tom and Lem. Their dances had just ended.

Gendry threw 100 dragons on the table. They were the tips he had made the night before at the bar. This was another one of the rules for Fight Club; the winner pays for the nights drinks. Tom and Lem bitched as they walked away. Gendry said they had been there long enough. He pulled the card of Lem not going to class that day to get them to leave the club.

"I was hung over! Those princesses knew how to party last night." He said as they slipped into Edric's ecofriendly car.

"Yeah we had a good night last night. I love being you and Edric's friends. You always attract the hottest birds." Tom said with a smile on his face.

They dropped the two off at their flat. Tom and Lem were roommates. They had offered to let Ge dry move in with them after Lommy died, but he refused. He liked his place. It was his and he was thankful for their offer but didn't want to live with those two, they were slobs. Once they were alone Edric shot his eyes over to Gendry.

"So why do I get the feeling that something happened with you at the club?" Edric demanded.

"You know I hate you sometimes?" Gendry said as he sat next to him in the car.

"You love me. Now tell Papa Dayne what is going on. And tell me about Tyene's boss. You know something." Edric said.

"It's Arya's boss. The man who runs the club, who runs the strippers, is Arya's boss. The one I met today. Do you like her? The waitress?" Gendry asked.

"Don't know. Won't know until I spend time with her." Edric said. "She was hot. I want to get to know her. You know K have been in a dry spell since. Well since her." Edric huffed. "But there was something between the two of us."

"I know what you mean." They had pulled up to Gendry's apartment and he got out of the car. Edric rolled down his passenger window. Ge dry leaned in.

"I'll call you tomorrow to see how you are doing." Edric said.

"I want to know how the rest of your night goes. And if you learn anything about this boss?" Ge dry let the question hang in the air between them.

"I'll let you know." Edric said as he pulled away from the curb.

Gendry walked to his apartment and let himself in. He locked the door and stripped. He walked naked to the bathroom. He ran a bath instead of a shower. As he waited he took out his phone and texted Arya.

 _I'm thinking of you. Going to take a bath then go to sleep. You home yet._

Her reply was instantaneous. He tested the water and sunk down in it. He took his phone and read the message.

 _I left right after you did. And great minds think alike. I am in the bath myself. Glass of wine in hand, music playing. I wish it were Sunday already._

 _Me too._

 _Enjoy your bath stupid._

He smiled at his phone a d sunk deep into the water. Normally apartments didn't have tubs that fit him but this one did. He relaxed in the hot water and he realized he had a secret girlfriend. He soaked and thought of what he knew about her. Not much, but what he did he liked. He got out of the tub fourth five minutes later and dried himself off. He padded down the hall naked to his bed where he collapsed.

He pulled the sheets around him and they smelled of her. He took a deep breath of his pillow and thought of his secret girlfriend. She was all over his bed. He smiled and slept soundly. Life may not be perfect but it was all right.

 _ **AN: So I really hope you listen to the song In The Air Tonight. It is a great song. I wasn't planning to update this so soon but I really am glad I did. This is such a fun story to write. So any thoughts you have, any comments you have let me know. This is great fun to make up and thanks for reading. More geeky refrences to come. Any suggestions for future chapters go ahead and give them to me. I will add them in. Arya needs new costumes!**_


	4. Speaking Without Talking

**A/N I know it has been to long. This chapter was redone so many times, and I Still didn't get the wedding scenes in it! And I know there are spelling mistakes on some names. Stupid autocorrect kept changing them back! Once I get it sorted I'll be going back to change them. Points to anyone who points them out to me! Okay enjoy.**

His week went by in a flurry of activities. Wednesday he worked at the bar after a full day of lectures. He had sat in lecture with Aemon for hours. As he left Aemon gave him a cryptic remark as he was leaving the lecture hall.

"Mr. Waters. I am glad that I saw your name on the list. Just so you know my vote is already for you for the internship. I know Mormont said it depended on how you did his class, but I'm a partner in the firm. I get a vote in the end and my vote is for you." The old man said softly when Gendry came close. He had paused. This was almost as close as he was ever going to get to a confirmation to his idea of winning the internship for the most prestigious law firm in the city was in his hands.

"Thank you Professor. I would like to have my work be the proof to my winning the internship." He had said as he felt his classmates look at him.

"You will do well son. I helped create the case you have to defend. If you need any assistance you may come to me if you need." Professor Aemon said.

"Wouldn't that be cheating?" Gendry asked.

"On the contrary my boy. Everything you ask me would be as a consultation. All good lawyers use all the tools at hand to win their cases." Aemon turned from him and walked slowly to his office.

Gendry went to the last lecture of the day and then to the bar. He worked his ass off. He got over three hundred dollars in his pocket that night. After his shift he texted Arya.

 _Had a long day. Can't wait for Sunday._

 _Neither can I. Going to sleep now. I waited up to text you. Talk tomorrow._

Gendry only wrote four pages on his thesis then went to work. His personal trainer job woke him bright and early. He woke at his usual time, dress and got to work on time. He saw that Dany was on his schedule that day after Jenny Poole and before Hot Pie. He was not looking forward to that knowing she was probably a spy for the creep Jaqen, but he took the appointment anyway.

"I have been doing exercise podcasts at my flat for the last few months but my manager thinks I need more direct guidance." Dany said when he asked her why she wanted to join the gym.

"Alright, can you tell me what areas you want worked on the most?" He asked with her folder in his hands making notes as they talked.

"I want to keep my belly flat, my glutes toned and my arms looking strong. I think my legs are fine but Jaqen says he wants them slim as well." She replied with a smile.

Gendry wanted to comment that it was her wishes and body they would be working with not some egotistical assholes but held back.

"Alright. I'm going to call one of our female workers in to get your measurements so we can get a good idea at what is healthy for you to tone and what would be excessive." He told her as Shrieen walked over to them.

"I trust you would be a gentleman to not take liberties while measuring my body." Dany said.

"Its gym policy." Gendry replied as he had a number of times over the years. Dany just looked at him, but a warm smile broke over her face. It was one he thought was real.

"You Gendry Waters are a breed that is dying in the world today." She said as Shrieen came to them and they measured her body.

By the end of their consult they decided she would meet with Shrieen twice a week to talk nutrition and take yoga classes and once a week with him for weights and cardio until they found a meal plan that would require more. She was under the weight for serious strength training and until they got her diet balanced where she would gain muscle they felt uneasy letting her over do it.

"Thank you Gendry. I did not expect you would show this much care for my health." Dany told him as they walked to the door.

"I always think of each person who enters the gym like this: If I was them would I want to have someone who just wanted to take my money or someone who wanted to help me be better. Its an easy way to think." He said as they said goodbye.

"That is a very enlightened way to think now a days." She said. "A friend of mine said you were a good guy. I'm inclined to agree."

Gendry was left confused by her last statement. He wanted to ask who her friend was. Did Arya mention him to her? He rather liked that she told a friend about him. He walked to the desk and waited for Hot Pie to come in and do his last workout before the big day.

"So how was the starlet?" Brienne asked as she came up to stand beside him.

"She is to skinny." Gendry said with a shrug.

"Most guys like stick thin chicks. You don't agree?" She asked.

"Nope. I like women with curves." He smiled as he pictured Arya's body. She was thin but had soft curves. He liked how he could span her waist but there wasn't only skin and bones beneath her body, she had meat on her as well.

"Your mystery girl isn't a twig?" She asked.

"She is not a twig." He smiled at her. Hot Pie walked in and Gendry walked over to him before he had to answer questions.

"Last workout. Lets get this over with. We have the final tuxedo fittings tomorrow. Will I get to wear the smaller one for the wedding Bull? I don't want to hear anymore fat jokes for my wedding." Hot Pie asked.

"Well you dropped a size since your last fitting. That was a month ago. Maybe you dropped another size." They walked to the weights and Gendry had Hot Pie sweating his ass off.

"I'm done. Can we be done?" He panted.

"Yeah. Lets go hit the sauna. Sweat a little more." Gendry said with a smile.

"More sweating?" Hot Pie whined.

"Yeah, more sweat. But this way we can talk." They walked to the sauna and sat in nothing but towels as steam engulfed them.

"So Willie and I haven't had sex in three months. She said she wanted to wait until after we were married. I am going crazy Bull." Hot Pie whined again.

"Well that means she hasn't seen you naked since you had all the rolls on that body of yours. You haven't been this fit since you were ten." He joked.

"That was when I was half starved and to skinny for my own good. Once I learned how to cook I was never skinny. I liked my body that way, but I want Willie to see what I could be. She's just so hot. I want her to not be married to a blob. I want her to be proud to have me on her arm." Hot Pie said as he relaxed.

"Hey man she is proud of you. You are about to become a sue chef for one of the top chefs in the country. She has an amazing bakery that is thriving. Out of all us you are the only one who is not floundering in the world. Look at all the amazing things you have going for you. Don't worry dude." Gendry looked over to his sweating friend. "And the sex is going to be amazing on your honeymoon."

They left the steam room and parted ways. Gendry went to his daily classes but left his second class early to get to the last fitting for his tuxedo. The tailor was kind to him. He seemed a little on edge.

"Hey Sampson what is the problem?" Gendry asked.

"The groom has slimmed down enough that he needs to have a whole new tux. I am at my wits end. I am just glad that you have not changed to much. It makes it easier that they only have you and the one maid of honor in the wedding party. More would be to much for us." Sampson said with a sad smile on his face.

"I think I've stayed the same, so my tux should be just right." Gendry tried it on one last time in the shop then left with the bags. He had splurged and bought the tux rather then rent one. If things worked out right he might need one in the future.

He got home and tucked the suit in his closet and headed into the kitchen to make dinner before he sat down to write. He took his tomato soup and grilled Swiss cheese sandwich to his desk and worked until well after midnight. He was getting up to go to sleep when his phone chirped.

 _You still awake ass face? Edric_

 _No dick face. I'm able to text in my sleep._

 _I'm outside, buzz me in. I have pizza. Edric_

Gendry stood and pressed the button that would let Edric up to his flat. He walked to his room to throw on some shorts. His friends hated seeing him naked. He went to his fridge and pulled out two beers. He decided that as soon as the beers were empty he would get some sleep. He was tired and tomorrow was going to be along day.

"You better have a beer for me." Ed called as he opened the door with the pizza in his hand.

"Yeah. One beer then you go home." Gendry told him as they sat on the couch.

"Cranky much?" Ed asked as he opened the box and took a slice out.

"You try getting four hours of sleep a night." Gendry grunted as he ate his own slice. It was extra cheese, onion, olive and bacon pizza with a white sauce.

"We are young, we don't need sleep." Edric said with a smirk on his face.

"So what do you want?" Gendry asked.

"Couldn't I have just wanted to share a pizza with my pal?" Edric tried to sound innocent but that was not something he did well.

"Not on your life. Am I here to be your alibi or something?" Gendry grinned at his friend.

"That happened once, let it go." Edric blushed. "I'm here because there is an orgy at my place and it was not pretty. Lem was running around the house naked. I didn't want to be raped by him in my sleep."

Gendry laughed. The guys that shared a place were known for their parties and he suspected they had reached a new level of madness to have scared Edric away.

"You can crash here Ed. The couch is yours." Gendry said as he ate.

"Why can't I use Lommy's room?" Edric asked. "It's been a year."

"You know why. I'll be okay with everything sooner or later." Gendry said defensively.

"Whatever mate. It's your house. Thanks for giving me the couch."

They finished the pizza, had a few beers and Gendry was glad he had taken a break from his crazy life to just hang out with his friend.

His alarm split the air. He woke up more tired then when he went to sleep. He walked out to the living room to see Edric had fallen asleep on the couch using a bottle of vodka like a teddy bear. He walked to the shower and got ready for his day. The shower helped him clear his mind. He was refreshed and clean. He walked out with a towel wrapped around his hips and went to get his coffee.

He drank it while he thought. After class that day he had a rehearsal to get to, then tomorrow was the biggest day of his best friends life. He decided that no matter what happened he would try and make the next two days the best his best friend had ever had. His mind wandered to Arya, but he shut them down fast. He couldn't be the best man if his Dick did his thinking. Gendry had always been good at shutting parts of his mind off. He dressed for his run, left his bag by the door for Lem and went for his run.

He did his run faster then he had ever ran before. It gave him enough time to lift some weights. He was trying to push everything out of his mind. He felt a calm fall over him. He felt slightly buzzed from his workout. He walked to the shower and took a nice hot one. He left his shower and found Lem sleeping on a bench in front of the lockers.

"Rise and shine." Gendry chirped as he kicked him in the foot.

"What? Where are we?" Lem stuttered.

"You are sleeping in front of my locker at the gym at school. What gives man." Gendry opened his locker and decided the best way to wake up his friend was to just take off his towel and show Lem his ass.

"Fucking hells Gendry. Your balls are inches from my face." Lem scrambled back and fell on the floor.

Gendry laughed whole heartedly for the first time days. Seeing his friend try to wipe his eyes and block the image of Gendry's hardy ball sack bobbing in his face was the best thing to lighten his sour mood.

"Its not funny you fuck wad." Lem shouted. "I'm blind, scared for life."

"Shut up. You know you loved the show." Gendry had pulled out his boxers and slid into them. He dressed and threw a towel at Lem. He still had his eyes covered and shouted when the towel landing on his face.

"Oh god." Lem yelped.

"Don't worry you fool. I'm dressed." Gendry grabbed his bag and helped his friend stand.

"If you ever do anything like that again I'll kick your ass." Lem snarled.

"My sweet ass? The one you luv to look at?" Gendry walked out of the room.

"You are an asshole." Lem said with a laugh as they walked to class. The day went by fast. Gendry took his notes and then headed home to change for the rehearsal for the big day. He walked into the Forge and was assaulted by his boss.

"You are lucky I like you Waters. Closing the place down twice in one week for you all to use. I don't bloody care that this was the place Hot Pie popped the question, or that they had their first date here and its special to him and that bird of his. If they weren't paying me I'd have said no."

"No you wouldn't have old man. You love a good happy love story as much as the next." Gendry said with a smile. "You did get ordained right?" Gendry asked while he stowed his stuff in his locker. One of the conditions for the wedding happening at the Forge was that Tobor got to marry the two. He said he was the closest thing to a parent either of them had and he couldn't pick a side to sit on, so he'd just have to perform the ceremony.

Gendry had laughed so hard when Hot Pie had told him that he ended up crying, but to an extent it was the truth. Both Hot Pie and Willie didn't have parents. Tobor was right when he said he was the closest either had to parents.

"I sure did. Got it off the internet. I added the fee to the list they owe me. Or should I make the fee my wedding present? I haven't decided. Come on Bull, lets run through this so we can get on with the night."

They walked out into the bar and the room was just the same as always. They would move everything tomorrow. After the run threw the bar would be opened, like any other night. Willie stood on stage and smiled brightly when they walked in.

"My soon to be husbands best man and the old fart who is going to marry me to my love. You two are a sight for sore eyes." She said in way of greeting.

"Willow you better be nicer to me or you will find yourself a different place to get married in." Tobor grouped. Gendry saw a slight smile form on the old mans face and they all knew it was an empty threat.

"Now Mr. Mott don't be like that." Willie said. "I've made you those apple muffins you like so well. If I can't be married here I don't think I'll be giving them to you after all."

"You trying to bribe me with baked goods girl?" Mott demanded. Willie smiled at him. "Its working. Now where is that man you want to throw your life away on at?"

"Here!" Hot Pie hollered. "I'm here."

They turned to see a red faced Hot Pie walk into the bar. He looked nervously around the room looking guilty. Gendry knew something was going on with his best friend. He didn't think that it was anything bad, just sneaky.

"Sorry I'm late." He said as he drew closer.

"You aren't late darling. We all were early." Willie said brightly. Her whole face lit up when she saw them. Love crackled between the two like lightening. Gendry figured that even a blind an could see that these two were idiots in love. Gendry envied them just a little.

"All that we need now is the sister." Mott grunted.

"She should be here soon." Willie said looking at her phone. "She said she is just getting some last second things for tomorrow."

"Then let us get a drink. Waters is buying." Mott said as he walked to the bar and fixed everyone the drinks of their choice. He knew them all and despite not being behind the bar anymore he was still the king of drink mixing. "Here you go. Drink it down. Last drink before the horde of the others get here. I'm not letting those fools you lot call friends get pissed without getting a profit."

Gendry realized that he wasn't going to charge him for the drinks he had made. Gendry lifted his glass in a salute to the old man for his gift. Mott shook off the thanks and started muttering about shutting down his bar for a wedding.

Gendry was relaxing when Willies sister strolled in with her arms filled with bags.

"We finally have everything on the list. We can have a wedding now." She said brightly.

"We could have had the wedding without dollies for the tables." Willie said as she went to embrace her sister. "Jayne you didn't need to get these things. We have enough stuff for decorations."

"This is your wedding! I want everything to be perfect for you." Jayne said. She looked at Gendry and nodded her head in greeting before going to embrace her soon to be brother.

"Right. Get your sorry asses up on the stage. I'm not waiting for the rest to come. Time is money." Mott boomed.

"I just arrived. Can't we get a drink first?" Jeyne asked.

"Already did that sweetie. The early birds get the worm. Now lets get this over, its not the real thing just practice." Mott walked to the stage without a word. The others took their places and Sandor, who was standing in for the music man pressed the song that would announce the brides entrance.

Gendry stood beside his best friend as he watched the girls enter the bar arm in arm. Since they had no parents Jayne was walking her sister down the isle. Hot Pie's face was glowing. His eyes were locked on his soon to be bride. Once they reached the stage the two girls took their places. Willow took Hot Pie's hand and they smiled brightly at each other.

"Right, now I read from the paper." Tobor Mott said, and began to read the page. It was a dull experience to hear him stumble thru romantic passages. Soon it was over and he asked for the bride and groom to give their vows. The couple had written their own and didn't want to spoil their words to each other so they were skipped over. Then Mott pronounced them man and wife and Hot Pie killed his lover full out. Gendry smiled as his best friend gave his lady love one hell of a kiss.

"I hope you kiss me like that tomorrow." Willie gasped when they finally broke apart.

"You bet I will sugar." Hot Pie said as he smiled at her.

"Good." She said as she went in for another kiss.

"I know you two are in a love bubble, but I've got a business to run. I'm open wing the bar now." Mott barked. "Gendry get behind the bar and make the gals thirsty!"

The wedding group looked at each other and all laughed at how Mott used work to hide his tears of joy. They all knew better then to poke the old man and got into clearing out the wedding stuff so the bar could open. As soon as Gendry was behind the bar the doors boomed opened and the rush was on.

Gendry worked like a mad man for the next five hours. He served drinks to so many people he lost count. He was town to a grey tank top by the end of the night. Jeyne had stayed and watched him work. He felt a little odd with her sitting at the bar. They had dated for a few weeks before they both realized they would never work, but since then she had been the one he used to call when he needed someone to scratch the itch with, and she used him for that as well. There was a lull so he slid ever to her seat at the bar and placed a water in front of her.

"You need this Jeyne." He said to her as she looked at the glass of water confused. She had had one to many drinks already.

"Not if you are taking me home with you." She smiled at him and pushed the water away from her.

"I can't do that anymore." He said in a hushed voice.

"And why not?" She demanded.

"I'm seeing someone and I don't want to mess it up." He said.

"What! Since when?" She demanded. She pouted out her lips and he remembered all the times her lips had been on his body. He pushed the memory aside and thought of Arya. She had ways of driving him wild with just her lips on his. Jeyne might be good, but never as good as Arya.

"Not long." Gendry confessed.

"Are you exclusive?" She asked.

Gendry paused. They had never had that talk with Arya. She got money for taking her clothes off for people and he got money for flirting. They both did things for tips normal couples would consider cheating. But taking Jayne home would be cheating. Yes their relationship was complicated, nut he still lived by a code.

"Yes we are." He said.

"So will she be here tomorrow?" Jayne asked.

"No."

"Will you see her tonight?" She asked.

"No."

"This is a new relationship, right?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Have you had the exclusive talk?" She demanded.

"No." He admitted.

"Then I could go home with you." She shouted.

"I can't." He stressed.

"Gendry, I know what you need. I know the signs. Take me home and use me to slack them." She purred at him. Gendry gulped air into his lungs. With everything going on at school he was stressed and sex would help. But he didn't want to be that guy, the one who cheated. He beat down his animal instinct and looked her in the eyes.

"I am not that kind of guy. I thought you of all people would know that." He said slow. Jeyne just looked at him. He saw all her emotions flow over her face.

"I want you Gendry. One last time, please?" She begged. Before he could answer he was called to the other side of the bar to make some drinks. He went. She sat there at her end of the bar and watched him. As soon as the drinks were mixed he asked Hound to cover for him as he took his break.

He went to his locker and took his phone out. He called Arya. Talking to Jeyne made him want to have the exclusive talk with her so he could face Jayne with the truth. The line rung six times them her voice answered.

"Hey sexy." Just the sound of her voice got him hard.

"Hey." Gendry breathed. "God you make me horny." She giggled. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" She asked.

"Make me so hard I'd fuck a tree." He answered.

"Don't do that. Splinters." She said matter of fact. "You called at the best time. I'm between gigs."

"I called because I need to get something out of the way." He said slowly. "My ex is here and she wants me to take her home. I told her I have someone in my life but she asked a good question." He said in a rush.

"And what was that question?" She asked, her voice as hard as steal.

"She wanted to know if we were exclusive. I didn't give her an answer, because I don't have one. I don't want to lie. I don't want to take her home." He answered rushing his words together. He felt like a teenager again when he spoke to Arya. He was not a fan of uncertainty.

The line was silent for a time and Gendry started to worry. He shouldn't have called, shouldn't have asked. He knew her situation was not normal. He should have told Jayne he was totally committed to Arya, but he needed to know. So he waited for her answer.

"Gendry." She finally said. "I am committed to you, but I have obligations."

"I don't understand." He finally said after his moment of silence.

"My manager, he expects things from me." She said, she sounded dead as she spoke.

"Wait, he demands you sleep with him!" He roared.

"I haven't yet, but he expects me to. And soon." She said.

"Fuck Arya." He yelled into the phone.

"I don't want to, but I have to. I signed a contract. It was before I met you. I never expected to meet someone I wanted to be with on the job. He picked me up after a hard time in my life; he saved me. I would have done anything after what had happened to me." She explained. Gendry couldn't hear her. All he heard was a buzzing sound.

"So you are me telling me that at some point in our relationship you'll have to fuck him?" He demanded.

"Yes." She whispered.

"So we can't be totally exclusive? There is no way out of the contract?" He asked.

"I would be if I could, but I'm scared of what will happen to you." She said. "The last girl who broke the contract lost everything."

"Arya I'm confused. Explain."

"Six months ago one of his girls fell in love." She said. "She went on a job and met a man, just like I met you. She started seeing this guy. They had a relationship like we have. She was the star, Jaqen gave everything to her. The best spots in plays, best jobs, best care. Her life was taken care of. But she saw this boy too. She fell for him. She ended up pregnant. Jaqen found out she was leaving the company to have a normal life. He abducted her lover. She had not been with Jaqen yet you see. If she had he might not have acted so crazy. Anyway he took her love after he found out about her baby." Arya's voice was dead again as she continued to speak. "He dragged her to the club one night. He sat her down in a room with a computer screen with her lover hooked up to a machine. He told her that she had a choice. Then he injected her with something. He told her she could save her baby or her love, but not both. She chose her love, thinking they could have other children if he was alive. She had an abortion to save her love and slept with him. She thought it would be enough to save him, but Jaqen let his machine woke on her lover until he was brain dead. She lost it all. Her child, her love and her freedom. I won't let you get hurt that way Gendry I won't."

Gendry ears numb after her tale. If what she was saying was true their secrecy was more important then ever. He didn't want to loses his life or hers because he was willing to let this happen. But he still rebelled. He had claimed Arya as his. He had taken her. Masked her as his. He was a storm and all who got in his way better fear his wrath. He would protect her and nothing could alter that now.

"Gods Arya. You need to get out of there. Now." He whispered.

"I can't. I signed a contract. I'm his until I make enough of a name of myself to buy my freedom. He has had girls working for him for so many years. I don't know when I will be free." She confessed.

"What does it mean to be free?" He asked.

"I have to break out to the big time. Get signed with a real company. That's why Phantom of the Opera is so important to me. If a real company comes and sees me and likes me I can get a real job in the real world, become a real actress and leave Jaqen. But the guys I'm opposite suck. Jaqen does this on porous. He casts weak men against us and we never get signed."

"Is the girl who Edric met earlier in the week in the show?" He asked. He was forming a crazy idea that might just work.

"Yes. She plays Meg." Arya answered. "Why?"

"What if something happened to the two 'leading men'?" He asked.

"We would hold opened auditions." She answered.

"Good." Gendry said. "I know two guys who can sing." He answered.

"Waters, break is over." Hound yelled from the bar.

"I don't understand." Arya said.

"I know sweet. We can talk more when we meet Sunday. I have a plan. Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Yes." She said. "But Gendry, if you take this girl home I will find you both and hurt you. If you have a plan to get me out of this we are exclusive. If you won't share me I won't share you."

Gendry smiled at this. He wished she was in front of him to kiss her. She was jealousy and that made him smile.

"I can't help my animal magnetism babe." He said with a smile.

"You keep your animal magnetism in your pants." She growled.

"Yes ma' ma." He said with a smile. "I have to get back to the bar. I'll call you tomorrow?" He asked.

"You better. Or I'll be outside your door ready to kill." She said back.

"You are one hell of a woman Arya No Last Name." He said to her.

"And never forget it Waters." She said. The line went dead and he stowed his phone back in his locker.

He went out to the bar and to his relief Jayne was not there. He saw her at a table with a guy. He worked the rest of his shift then went home fir the night fir some sleep. The next day was the biggest day of his best friends life. There was still so much to do, he needed sleep.

 _Came home to an empty bed. Wish I had someone to fill it with me._ He texted Arya as he punched pillows to the right shape.

 _You better be alone. I'm so tired my eyes are like sandpaper. I don't know if I'll be able to drive home._

 _Where are you at?_

 _Three blocks from your place, across town from mine._

 _Want to crash with me? No funny business just sleep?_

The phone was silent for a moment. They had agreed they wouldn't see each other till Sunday , but he needed her. It had been so long. She was a small death for him. When she was near he was great, when she was away to long he died a little.

 _Only to sleep. I'm to tired for sex._

 _Park in the garage. My house number is the code. Also the code for the door. Let yourself in._

 _I'll be up in five. If you hog the blankets I'll punch you._

Gendry laughed and stumbled to the door of his place to unlock the door for her. He went to his kitchen and poured two glasses of water and looked in the fridge for some food to give her. He suspected she had forgotten to eat. She walked in with a backpack slung over her shoulders and a violent purple colored wig on. She had a leather looking body suit on. Gendry swallowed hard.

"Thanks for letting me crash here." She said as she locked the door behind her.

"I've made you eggs and toast." He stammered.

"You are amazing." She sat at the bar and he placed her food in front of her. He sipped his water AMD she chugged hers. "How did you know I was hungry?"

"I know you." He said with a shrug as he cleaned his kitchen.

"Mind if I shower? Then lets go to bed." She yawned.

"Sounds good to me. If you need anything to sleep in you can borrow a shirt of mine." He said as she walked to the bathroom.

"I'll take you up on that offer."

He heard the shower start and he placed the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. He had already showered before bed but no one said he couldn't go in there and talk to her. They hadn't been able to much this week.

 _The world was on fire and no one could save me but you  
Strange what desire will make foolish people do  
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you  
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you._

Gendry heard her singing and stopped outside the door. The words were sung low and slow. Her voice was filled with longing and fear. As he stood the lyrics of another song popped into his head and he found himself singing them softly in the hall.

 _All our times have come  
Here but now they've gone  
Seasons don't fear the reaper  
Nor do the wind the sun or the rain_

He sang slowly to match the pace of her slow song. They wove together the melodies of their songs, but Arya had no idea he was singing with her.

 _No I don't want to fall in love, this girl is only gonna break your heart_  
 _No I don't want to fall in love, this girl is only gonna break your heart  
With you  
With you, this girl is only gonna break your heart_

Arya sang sadly and Gendry added his sad song to hers, letting his voice raise as well.

 _Come on baby… Don't fear the reaper  
Baby take my hand… don't fear the reaper  
We'll be able to fly… don't fear the reaper  
Baby I'm your man  
La Lalas la la_

Arya had paused and he was sure she had heard him. But she kept on singing her song, the second verse of the song.

 _What a wicked game you played to make me feel this way  
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you  
What a wicked thing to say you never felt this way  
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you_

His voice rose and grew as hers grew more sad. It was like they were pleading with each other. She sand her words of pain and fear, him asking her to let go if the fear and be with him.

 _Valentine is gone, here but now they're gone  
Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity… Romeo and Juliet  
40000 men and women everyday… like Romeo and Juliet  
40000 med and woman everyday… redefined happiness  
Another 40000 men and women everyday… we can be like they are _

He just stood in the hall, he was to afraid to enter the bathroom. He wanted to see he, yet he was sure if they were together their song would end.

 _And I don't want to fall in love, this girl is only gonna break your heart  
No I don't want to fall in love, this girl is only gonna break your heart  
With you_

Arya sang stronger now, challenging him. He sang the next lines of his song with feelings he was to frightened to admit to himself or to her.

 _Come on baby… Don't fear the reaper  
Baby take my hand… don't fear the reaper  
We'll be able to fly… don't fear the reaper  
Baby I'm your man  
La Lalas la la_

They both were almost done with their songs, their demands for more from each other. He didn't want it to stop. Because once it did they would be faced with one another.

 _The world was on fire and no one could save me but you  
Strange what desire will make foolish people do  
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you  
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you._

Gendry sang his next lines soft and sweet to her.

 _Love of two is one  
Here but now there gone  
Came the last night of sadness, it was clear she couldn't go on  
Then the door opened and the wind appeared  
The candles blew and then disappeared  
The curtain flew and then he appeared… saying don't be afraid _

Arya sang the final section of her song as she turned off the shower. The only sound was were their voices.

 _No I don't want to fall in love, this girl is only gonna break your heart_  
 _No I don't want to fall in love, this girl is only gonna break your heart  
With you  
With you, this girl is only gonna break your heart  
No I will only break your heart_

He sang back to her, his voice trying to sooth her, and him.

 _Come on baby… and she had no fear  
And she ran to him… then they started to fly  
They looked backwards and said goodbye… she has become like they are  
She had taken his hand… she had become like they are  
Come on baby… don't fear the reaper_

Arya had the last word, like with everything in her life

 _Nobody loves no one_

The apartment was silent for a long moment after that. He stood in the hall, thinking over the conversation they had just had. He laughed softly when he thought of the two songs to have been a conversation.

"You still in the hall?" Arya asked.

"Um, yeah." He said. "Sorry for interrupting." He looked at his feet.

"Are you kidding me? That was so amazing. If my costar could sing that way I could get free of Jaqen."

"Well like I said I have a plan. Come on Arya. Its almost four in the morning and I have a weeding tomorrow to attend." He was relieved that she didn't think of the songs as a way of them saying the things they couldn't to each other. He finally realized that his song was a way of asking her to give up what she knew, come with him and her song was her fear of falling to hard and to fast.

Arya smiled at him when she walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing. He ached to run his lips all over her pale skin. She went into his room like she owned the place, he just stood there admiring the view.

"Why did you pick that song?" She called and he walked into the room so she wouldn't have to shout.

"I love that song. And the skit about the cow bell too." He said with a shrug as he watched her slide one of his shirts over her body. It fell to her knees, but she looked dam good in it. He went and sat on his bed. "Why Wicked Games?"

"Ito's been stuck in my head lately for some reason. It was used for a trailer of a show I am obsessed with." She said with a shrug once she was on her side of the bed.

"Now that we are in bed I don't want to go to sleep." Gendry confessed as he lay on his side.

"Me either."

He smiled at her and she slid right next to him and they kissed softly. This was different from their usual kisses. There was passion but not animal need. It was a kiss that was everything and nothing. She melded her mouth on his and he took delight in the softness of her lips and body. They broke from the kiss and he looked at the clock.

"Damn. I really do have to sleep now." He growled.

"Then let us sleep. I just want to stay like this." Arya yawned.

"Okay. Night Arya." He kissed the top of her head where it rested on his chest.

"Night Gendry."

They fell asleep in each others arms.


End file.
